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Town Web site may put users at risk
A citizen's concerns about a security flaw in the Town of Warrenton's Web site are reportedly being addressed.Mathew Demaree said he alerted town officials about the problem after he used the site to pay his water bill on line.
While doing so, he discovered that personal information — such as addresses and vehicle identification numbers included when someone creates an account on the "MyTown" portion of the site — was easily accessible to other users, even if they hadn't signed in.
Demaree, the owner of Computer Repair and Web Services in Bealeton, conceded that some of the information may be a matter of public record.
But he also stressed that someone with the "right tools" could do an inventory of the site and create a database in which VINs or license plate numbers could be linked to specific people and addresses.
"That database could then be used for a number of things — you name it," Demaree said.
In addition to telling town officials about the issue, Demaree said he also contacted the town's computer consultant, F1 Computer Solutions.
"They did seem quite concerned and stated they would notify me when the fix is made," Demaree said. "I am greatly concerned that my information is still available online, as well as everyone else that has decided to use this site."
Town Manager Ken McLawhon said Warrenton officials and their computer consultants are aware of Demaree's concerns and that they are looking into them.
Town officials want to make it convenient for residents to pay bills, but they also want to make sure proper safeguards are in place, for people who choose to make payments online, McLawhon said.
On Monday, a note on the town's Web site said the MyTown portion of the site was undergoing maintenance and that "certain payment options may not be available."
In the meantime, residents can make certain payments by going to the "Do business — taxes and bills" menu at www.townofwarrenton.com.
Demaree said he was hopeful that the MyTown portion of the site would be taken off line completely until the problem is resolved. But as of Monday, he said by posting certain links from the site into his browser, he could still access certain personal information without logging in to the site.
E-mail the reporter: abogdanovic@timespapers.com
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