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E-Commerce Security: Ordering: |
Do I Need to be Concerned About E-Commerce Security?
If you surf the Web or use the Internet for your business, the answer is a resounding YES!
Electronic commerce encompasses all aspects of using the Internet for business or personal use. Now, more than ever, a great deal of business is performed in one way or another over the Internet. For some, it is simply the ease of communication, for others, having the ability to research topics, products, or even people makes the Internet an absolute necessity for business.
Businesses have begun exploiting the Internet for commercial transactions. Recognizing the dangers in sending confidential information over an inherently insecure media, a number of secure data transport protocols have emerged. Minimally, these protocols encrypt sensitive information such as credit card numbers to prevent unauthorized people from capturing the data. Some protocols even facilitate payment for merchants through banking institutions.
Even with the strong security provided in the transport of data, e-commerce security still remains elusive. In practice, most security violations occur through other avenues than breaking cipher text. Gene Spafford, a computer security researcher at Purdue University, is quoted as saying, "Using encryption on the Internet is the equivalent of arranging an armored car to deliver credit-card information from someone living in a cardboard box to someone living on a park bench". The point is that often times we infer security from encryption when we are so vulnerable otherwise.
Areas of concern:- Threats to E-Commerce
the real-life war stories of being hacked on the Net - Web Clients
understanding the dangers of ActiveX, Java applets, push technology, desktop integration with the Web, and flawed browsers - Data protocols
examining the differences and limitations of different protocols used for e-commerce from secure Web sessions, to secure payment systems, to digital cash protocols for smartcards - Web servers
recognizing how simple configuration errors in Web server software can leave gaping holes in the security of your site - Server Operating System
securing the foundation of the e-commerce server machine, whether it is Unix or Windows NT - Component-based Software
addressing the security issues for the future of electronic commerce --- secure software components
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