payroll - Security recommendations storing bank info in mysql

[quantumphp]

As more online business show up online every day and as affiliate programs are becoming more common people are needing to get paid. I've had recent clients wanting to be able to store payroll info and do payroll management from their website. To date I've passed those clients to more experienced programmers for security.

Some of the questions on my mind that are likely helpful to others if we can answer a few.

1. Is it safe to store bank account info in a mysql database so that the employer can access this info for direct deposit payroll.
2. If so what is the best method of encryption?
3. What other security methods should be used?
4. Any recommendations on payroll scripts or scripts for collecting bank account info?
5. Any other recommendations on collecting and processing payroll info through a website.

[sneakyimp]

1) Generally speaking, it's not 'safe' in the sense that once people know you have bank account data you become a target. It's a bit like living dangerously. The degree of safety depends on many things. I wouldn't recommend a windows box with the default install, for instance. The default LAMP install might also have vulnerabilities. It's important that the box be 'hardened' meaning that you use the latest available version of all your software components, turn off all unnecessary services, disable direct login by root, turn off all server signatures in APACHE and turn down your error messages to prevent hackers from getting helpful information about the software installed on your box as they attempt to exploit it. There's basically an endless list of precautions you can take and some are more helpful than others. Start here.

2) Not sure what the 'best' method is but I've heard blowfish is good. You can encrypt using blowfish with the mcrypt library. It may or may not be enabled on a given PHP install. PEAR also has a blowfish implementation. Real world security techniques also use one-way encryption (i.e., 'hashing') which is a different animal and useful in different circumstances such as password encryption. The question isn't really 'which encryption is best?' but rather 'when should i use encryption and what kind should i use?'

3) Like I said before, there's an endless list of precautions you can take. Try keeping up to date on exploits by reading security-related sites so you know if you choice of software might have problems. Read about exploitation techniques. Network topography is also important. Personally, I would try to make sure that my server with sensitive data is not directly exposed to the internet. You should only access the sensitive machine through a proxy or firewall machine which acts as a gatekeeper.

4) i can't think of any FOSS payroll/bank scripts. The very idea makes me nervous.

5) Read up on it a LONG time before you plan to actually implement anything. Perhaps you should talk to those more experienced programmers about their techniques.

[quantumphp]

I'll read up on those links you posted. Thanks.

I've noticed the type of form that collects banking info on sites like google adsense and commission junction. How might these type of systems work.

Is it likely that they store it in the database for only a short time until it is transferred offline to a secure database.

If that's the case does anyone know of a solution to submit a form online and have that info transferred to a database offline somehow?

Any other ideas on making an online payroll solution work?

Thanks

[sneakyimp]

My guess is that in a large organization like Google, they have several hundred thousand computers acting as webservers which conduct information to database servers. The webservers are connected to the internet and service requests from users like you and me. The webservers then turn around and speak to the more secure database servers which are only accessible on google's internal network. IT's not really 'offline', just not directly accessible from the outside world.

My guess is also that google is not immune to exploits and probably has a team of lawyers and IT guys who are constantly busy dealing with exploits and customers who are victims of ID theft.