The operation is approved by EDS and authorized by the client. If Mr. Hartzfeld and his team succeed in cracking the site, they will expose its vulnerabilities - and then fix them. Mr. Hartzfeld and a cadre of similar Internet security specialists play a pivotal role in American e-commerce. As corporations rush to sell their wares and services online, these experts face the challenge of ensuring the safety of thousands of new Web sites. The foray into EDS' Web Vault requires tremendous patience, and there are no chairs.
Internet security is a major issue for corporations rushing to sell their wares and services online.
Their sites' safety rests with a cadre of specialists such as Mr. Hartzfeld. The test on the bill-payment site ran just under an hour and turned up one minor vulnerability, which Mr. Hartzfeld said wouldn't pose a great security risk. But it's a typical chore in a day in Mr. Hartzfeld's work life, which also involves designing and implementing security systems and corresponding with customers. Internet security professionals often have to pitch the value of their service to disbelieving executives. For too long, experts say, Internet security has been a secondary concern for the companies stampeding to the Internet marketplace, experts say.