The Internet quietly revolutionized the world. It makes work easier and faster and depends greatly on almost all aspects of our life. After the US military released the ARPANET project and allowed universities and companies to use this wonderful technology, one of the most innovative revolution in the banking industry took place and the ticket reservation service continued.
Interestingly, computer and programming geeks create a basic web-based ticket reservation system with the Java language that is being considered by many as an Internet language. They do so for academic projects at schools and colleges. These applications are not important for commercial versions. However, this case was discussed so that readers can feel the popularity of internet based ticket reservation applications.
At the moment, online ticket booking and hotel reservation systems may offer the option to pay the necessary amount online, called wire transfer in common male languages. Through these software-defined network devices called Payment Gateway, these websites use third party plugins via API to integrate the website database and bank computer system and server.
Typically, these payment gateways are very secure environments that employ Secure Socket Layer (SSL) algorithms or SSL algorithms that can be 64-bit or 128-bit encryption algorithms based on requirements. The 128-bit SSL algorithm is the most secure algorithm deployed in the public domain to secure the fund transfer environment and encrypts confidential information with a very safe process which is very difficult with current standards.
A problem, or rather a loophole, resides in an internal data storage mechanism deployed by a third-party airline reservation website. Sometimes, in order to reduce the costs associated with maintaining high security standards, these websites may not take appropriate steps to ensure payment-related information is safe within the server . Also, server administrators and database administrators may not be skilled enough to implement strict security measures.
Security loopholes may exist on hotels and airlines' websites while security breaks are not taking place in some bank transfer systems. If the server is hacked and the data is properly mined by a professional hacker all details on the financial transaction including credit card details will be displayed before the hacker.
Hackers can download or copy information to their other systems and use that information to perform illegal transactions or fund transfers. Banks have introduced double layer verification methods to mitigate such fraud, but this process is not complete.
Therefore, please think twice before trusting the reservation service of a hotel or ticket of a third party. Even the best hotel reservation service providers are vulnerable to such server attacks by cyber experts and rarely block system or server loopholes.
