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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: VB inc on March 30, 2010, 21:58

Title: What kind of security is in place at these sites?
Post by: VB inc on March 30, 2010, 21:58

Google leaves china after hacks. Got me thinking on how vulnerable our money is on these sites? I have no clue and is curious to hear from people from the it backgrounds on this issue
What kind of systems are in place at the top microstock sites? Is it comparable to Banking systems? It should be top of the line imo since millions are going in and out...
How hard would it be for a potential hacker to write some code and penetrate these systems to extract pennies per transaction with various contributors, reminds of of that movie office space.
I think istock has been buggy for awhile now...

Title: Re: What kind of security is in place at these sites?
Post by: Magnum on March 31, 2010, 01:30

We will never know for sure. How could we?  The bad guys are always ahead.    It´s like thinking about where does space end?  Even if the security was 100% there is a possibility for siteowners to not report sales.  I´d never accuse anyone for that though. I´m glad for what I get, not sad for what I don´t get.

Title: Re: What kind of security is in place at these sites?
Post by: Microbius on March 31, 2010, 06:16

Yeah it's tricky, I mean we are also trusting the sites and their employees are legit.
I think I worry more about the wholesale theft of images on sites like SS where thieves will use a stolen credit card .By the time they are discovered they have already downloaded the months allowance and the files are on rapidshare.
I'm sure we're losing more that way then through direct monetary theft on any single site.

Title: Re: What kind of security is in place at these sites?
Post by: RT on March 31, 2010, 06:43

Quote from: Microbius on March 31, 2010, 06:16

Yeah it's tricky, I mean we are also trusting the sites and their employees are legit.
I think I worry more about the wholesale theft of images on sites like SS where thieves will use a stolen credit card .By the time they are discovered they have already downloaded the months allowance and the files are on rapidshare.
I'm sure we're losing more that way then through direct monetary theft on any single site.

I was chatting to someone from a macro site the other week and the legitimacy of the microstock sites employees was something that came up, not so much the ones that work at the company but more the ones that review from home, as he pointed out these people get to view our images at 100% with no watermark, what's to stop them keeping a copy, we have no idea who they are, what their background is or which country they reside in.

I think the top 3 sites require their reviewers to be established contributors so there's some safeguard in that knowledge, but I'd like to know what precautions other sites do to protect our work when selecting reviewers.

Title: Re: What kind of security is in place at these sites?
Post by: Microbius on March 31, 2010, 06:58

I hadn't thought of that. It's a very good point.
I think a lot of them do use established contributors who you would hope would have too much to lose to steal any images, but it would be good if they could let us know what the criteria are...

Title: Re: What kind of security is in place at these sites?
Post by: Clivia on March 31, 2010, 07:16

I remember about three or four years ago an employee from a small site was uploading our pictures on other sites claiming them as his own. I cannot remember the name of the site, they didn't last long once he was rumbled. It was an Eastern European site I think.

It is driving me mad now trying to remember that name!  ???

Title: Re: What kind of security is in place at these sites?
Post by: FD on March 31, 2010, 07:51

Quote from: Clivia on March 31, 2010, 07:16

I remember about three or four years ago an employee from a small site was uploading our pictures on other sites claiming them as his own. I cannot remember the name of the site...

Galastock. It killed them,.

Title: Re: What kind of security is in place at these sites?
Post by: RT on March 31, 2010, 08:25

Quote from: Clivia on March 31, 2010, 07:16

I remember about three or four years ago an employee from a small site was uploading our pictures on other sites claiming them as his own. I cannot remember the name of the site, they didn't last long once he was rumbled. It was an Eastern European site I think.

But I wonder how much the guy made off those images before he was rumbled, whether anything happened to him (I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that) and whether he's a reviewer on another site now?