Ask HN: how should I protect my web source code?

#1

Post by testme4ever2 » Tue, Nov 12, 2013, 8:45 PM UTC

I am currently developing a marketplace startup that is ready to launch, but I am curious to know if I should install a firewall (that means upgrading my current shared hosted to a dedicated server) or should I just use a regular shared web hosted like 1and1, godaddy, etc?

Can hackers really break easily into shared hosted server like 1and1 and godaddy and steal source code? Should I be worry about this?

I am currently bootstrapping, of course in ideal situation, I would do what it takes to secure it, etc, but I am not sure if it would be necessary to start. Of course, if things pick up, I would upgrade my package or possibly move to AWS.

Please advise, and thanks again for the input.

Re: Ask HN: how should I protect my web source code?

#2

Post by wmf » Tue, Nov 12, 2013, 8:57 PM UTC

No, you don't need to worry about this because the value in a marketplace is not in the code. You do need to worry about passwords being hacked, though.

Re: Ask HN: how should I protect my web source code?

#3

Post by testme4ever2 » Tue, Nov 12, 2013, 9:06 PM UTC

wmf wrote: post #2

No, you don't need to worry about this because the value in a marketplace is not in the code. You do need to worry about passwords being hacked, though.

Thank you for your response. So how should I protect the passwords? I assume you mean the users password?

Why source code is not the value? If they could hack it, then they can just deploy the same code in a matter of weeks?

oh, any suggestion on how to implement the admin backend access? Currently my admin access is just a subdomain, which I think is not secure access (although it requires admin credentials to access it).

Thank you.

Re: Ask HN: how should I protect my web source code?

#4

Post by wmf » Tue, Nov 12, 2013, 9:43 PM UTC

testme4ever2 wrote: post #3

wmf wrote: post #2

No, you don't need to worry about this because the value in a marketplace is not in the code. You do need to worry about passwords being hacked, though.

Thank you for your response. So how should I protect the passwords? I assume you mean the users password? Why source code is not the value? If they could hack it, then they can just deploy the same code in a matter of weeks? oh, any suggestion on how to implement the admin backend access? Currently my admin access is just a subdomain, which I think is not secure access (although it requires admin credentials to acces…

If someone deploys your code you could notice and sue them. Also, they wouldn't have your brand name, your marketing, your userbase, etc.