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Investigating Secure Implementation of Government Web based Systems in Tanzania

by Aron Kondoro, Joel Mtebe
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International Journal of Computer Applications
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Volume 182 - Number 10
Year of Publication: 2018
Authors: Aron Kondoro, Joel Mtebe
10.5120/ijca2018917712

Aron Kondoro, Joel Mtebe . Investigating Secure Implementation of Government Web based Systems in Tanzania. International Journal of Computer Applications. 182, 10 ( Aug 2018), 6-14. DOI=10.5120/ijca2018917712

@article{ 10.5120/ijca2018917712,
author = { Aron Kondoro, Joel Mtebe },
title = { Investigating Secure Implementation of Government Web based Systems in Tanzania },
journal = { International Journal of Computer Applications },
issue_date = { Aug 2018 },
volume = { 182 },
number = { 10 },
month = { Aug },
year = { 2018 },
issn = { 0975-8887 },
pages = { 6-14 },
numpages = {9},
url = { https://ijcaonline.org/archives/volume182/number10/29854-2018917712/ },
doi = { 10.5120/ijca2018917712 },
publisher = {Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA},
address = {New York, USA}
}
%0 Journal Article
%1 2024-02-07T01:10:58.705959+05:30
%A Aron Kondoro
%A Joel Mtebe
%T Investigating Secure Implementation of Government Web based Systems in Tanzania
%J International Journal of Computer Applications
%@ 0975-8887
%V 182
%N 10
%P 6-14
%D 2018
%I Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Abstract

The government of Tanzania has been adopting various web-based systems to improve public services to its citizens. With these systems being online, security and privacy have started to play a key role. Many systems use HTTP over Transport Layer Security (HTTPS) to secure their web front ends. However, many HTTPS implementations still suffer from several security and privacy problems. This study investigated the security of HTTPS implementations government web-based systems in Tanzania. Using a sample of 74 government web-based systems, an automated tool testssl was used to check for well-known HTTPS/SSL vulnerabilities, configuration mistakes, support for outdated and vulnerable protocols, and adherence to HTTPS best practices. Results show that 43% of web systems have serious HTTPS security issues due to vulnerabilities, and configuration mistakes. These issues can lead to system com- promise, disclosure of sensitive information, and loss of privacy to citizens. The study highlights these security issues that may have been overlooked and offers suggestions that may prevent them in the future

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Index Terms

Computer Science
Information Sciences

Keywords

Web Security HTTPS TLS/SSL e-Government

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