Security GuardsThe latest developments in e-business security

Alessandro Isolani plays with fire every day. His SanFrancisco-basedebates.comInc., the shopping community he co-founded in 1999, now has 2.5million members purchasing products from more than 500 e-merchantsreferred through its site. Protecting the security of thosecustomers is one of Isolani's most important jobs. "If youblow it on security," the 33-year-old explains, "yourcompany is dead."

Indeed, security issues dog all e-businesses. Merchants need toprotect shoppers' user information. Companies must also makesure people shopping with them aren't ripping them off.Entrepreneurs must not only protect proprietary information, butalso keep out hackers and minimize denial-of-service attacks, whichseek to shut sites down so legitimate customers can't usethem.