Background

• Since the early 1990s, the Internet has become a mainstay for digital commerce and life in the 21st century. Researchers were already working on Web 2.0 technologies during the early dot-com boom, but the vast majority of commercial and educational sites remained static HTML pages. Web 2.0 revolutionized the security front in that the security model transitions from server-side to client-side web technologies. Thus more potential attack vectors may be exposed to hackers within the client's realm. A big advantage in Web 2.0 security offers the opportunity for system hardening to be more granular and easier to control centrally than with static webpages. The transition to a client-side content-oriented model, marks the main difference in Web 2.0 security from traditional Internet security.
  
  

Types

• Security vulnerabilities and their counterpart methods of protection come in many shapes and forms in Web 2.0. Most notable are Cross Site Scripting, or XSS, and other client-domain content injection attacks, which are easier in Web 2.0, because of the increased reliance on dynamic content technologies: AJAX, Flash, Javascript and Flex. On the other hand, when configured correctly, Web 2.0 content delivery frameworks not only mitigate these risks, but provide complete managerial control over security vulnerabilities in a web application. This movement from a technical to a managerial approach to security represents a key advantage to Web 2.0.
  
  

Considerations

• Web 2.0 technologies are the key to better visibility, happier users and more business for many websites. In evaluating Web 2.0 security, administrators must consider the security risks that Web 2.0 can introduce versus the benefits that Web 2.0 content provides. Summarily, this means the potential for increased exposure to attacks in contrast to the rich Web environment of Web 2.0. By implementing a Web 2.0 security framework, such as those built into Google Web Toolkit or Zend, designers can mitigate Web 2.0 security disadvantages, while increasing the overall value of the site with Web 2.0 dynamic content.
  
  

Implications

• The implications of Web 2.0 security infrastructure on everyday life are profound. As more critical technologies (such as financial systems, medical records, and education portals) move to Web 2.0, the potential for increased vulnerability and consequently theft, privacy invasions and data loss is very real. With properly configured Web 2.0 security systems, the benefits of Web 2.0 content can far exceed the potential risks of a cyber attack. The difference lies in whether Web designers understand and mitigate the changing security environment as they transition to Web 2.0 sites.