Forum Moderators: buckworks
I see it on smaller sites all the time.
In reality I don't know what it does. Their website does not provide any clear information.
Do a forum search, I remember it was discussed in detail some time ago. Can't find the thread quickly though.
ScanAlert wants a $100 setup and $1,790 a year to run daily scans & security checks. Basically you're paying for the HackerSafe logo. There may be some value to having that if your buyers are complete computer novices, but anyone who isn't would pretty much ignore that logo.
Unless you're hosting your own site, it's not something you should be paying for - security is the responsibility of your web host. I suggest downloading Retina, running a scan on your site, and if you find anything you don't like send the report to your host so they can fix it.
Do they provide any others services or is this just it?
I pointed out that there were more than 60,000 people who invested in Enron. Then he told me "In regards to your comment on the eEye demo, remember the old adage, 'you get what you pay for'." That was the last conversation, and I never looked up the white papers.
As far as I'm concerned, you're basically paying $150 a month to put their logo on your site. To some buyers that might be worth something, but I would think it would just attract hackers by offering a challenge.
<added>You have to understand that what you are paying for is not the scanning service, but the potential increase in sales from putting their logo on you site</added>
That is pretty much all you get.
They used to call me all the time. But I never bought it.
I remember there was one of the most senior members here who had a really good point about this kind of service. He/She said something like "why would you even want to remind customers about hackers when they are about to give up their credit card number". I thought that was a good point.
And it will have 99% of the same effect for free.
[edited by: lorax at 1:49 am (utc) on June 27, 2005]
[edit reason] removed URL [/edit]
It's like offline businesses providing BBB logos and such other crap.
You can always put up a fake logo (1337 hax0r fr33) and test out your sales ;).
That is right . . .It always scared me as a customer.
>>>little logo that says "Hacker Protected" and have it link to a page
I would say it still does the job. After implementing maxmimum security of your own to your web, you can still put that little logo and make your customers feel more secure. The web is a web for customers no matter what you put - be it "hacker protected" or "hacker safe".
Habtom
By the way, ignore the "asking" price. Getting a heafty discount is no problem.
As a host they kept yanking our chain and delisted a customer that was 100% up to date so we finally told them to either support Mandrake properly and stop bothering us or go pound sand and give the guy a refund.
His site says it's SAFE and they still show a boatload of bogus errors.
C'est la vie.
I am just wondering: If I was a hacker, I would try to do anything to hack such sites. So my guess is that it will also increase hack attempts.
I do agree however that it will mostly support novice internet buyers to give out their credit card details. For me personally, the logo looks kind of cheap, as if you are ordering from a website that was build in 1998 and never updated.
My 0.02¢
And it will be free.
We might introduce some basic criteria(s) for a site to satisfy, say,
- you shall not publish CC numbers collected on site's front page.
- you shall use SSL... or swear to implement SSL not later than next Monday (or at least find out what the hell SSL is)
- you shall not sell Viagra and OEM Software on your site... at least, for 1/100 of real price :)
Since "Hackers Safe" is merely a fake in terms of real security provided, our logo will not be a completely fake, as well :)
Any logo designers volunteer? :)
This is something I tend to agree with. I would like to know what you think about a 'SSL128 Secured Server' or similar statement and a 'Security & Privacy' link under the 'Buy Now' button?
Similar re-action? On a large well-known site i'm sure it doesn't matter too much, but on a smaller site?
In all the security programs I've worked on I've been quick to point out that no system is %100 secure.
btw, automated external security scans from a company not familiar with your systems and needs will only give people a false sense of security. It would be hard to get a good ROI (from a security perspective) if it were free.
Of course I can't speak to it increasing sales because potential customers feel safer. If it works use it. But keep in mind that it is a function to meet a sales goal and not a function to meet a security goal.
get a few big name companys to slap the logo on there site for credibilty
Out of curiosity, if you weren't willing to spend "the profit from half a sale" for the service, how were you going to convince the big name companies to use your logo?
BTW, in our split testing, using the logo did not increase our conversion rate at all. We've stopped displaying the logo but continue to pay them for the quarterly PCI certification.
so why pay? for the visa/mc req.?..
Yes, exactly. Some of the Visa/MC certified auditors for PCI charge $400-$500 per audit (per quarter). $19.95 a month makes it worthwhile.
you must be doing huge volume
They also alerted us to a pretty gaping security hole we introduced unknowingly.
-ABertone
Abertone
25% increase? Thats very significant! Are you selling higher ticket items?
Coronella
7% is pretty healthy as well...again , are you selling higher ticket items?/
Curious as to how this may affect our biz. as most of what we sell is $400-700/item....
I'm wondering if just certain key pages such as the home page and privacy etc might be more effective than distracting those people who have already decided to proceed with their order.
I try to do alterations to my site along the physicians tenet - 'first do no harm'. I'm of the opinion that at worse, this will be conversion neutral, and hopefully will increase the rate.
Still, that's what facts are for, to shatter beautiful theories and ugly opinions. We'll see.
