# A Growing Issue Why Security Matters

As more and more people gain broadband access to the internet, websites are becoming more of a part of daily life. Unfortunately, this has also lead to more people having access to the tools and knowledge required to exploit security flaws and vulnerabilities in said websites.

There are many things to consider when designing a website, but security should nearly always be first and foremost. If you store customer details (particularly sensitive information such as contact details, card numbers or full DNA sequences), you are obliged by law to protect that information to the best of your ability.

### Nothing really matters... to me

Even if you design the most stylish, useful website in the history of websites, you'll run into trouble with people trying to break your security. Whether it's through SQL or XSS exploits, vulnerabilities with your web server or misconfiguration of its security files, or simply a poor password storage system - if there is a means to gain illicit entry to your site, a bored teenager will have found a way. If you work for a large company, of course, there is also the possibility that your site is targeted for industrial espionage; you are likely to be up against people who know what they are doing.

### Let's get physical

Although it's outside the scope of this website, please also remember the importance of physical security. If someone can walk in off the street and plug a USB key into your server, you've lost all of your data. This is more relevant for in a larger business, but it's important to bear in mind the necessity of backups and protecting the physical disks the site is stored on.