The Threat of Internet Security and Its Effects on Electronic Commerce

The threat of Internet security is an issue of growing concern. In the last decade, the number of people using computers on a regular basis has exploded. For quite some time now, computers and the Internet have been a source of entertainment and education, and not until recently have become a means of doing business. At the same time the Internet has also been a fertile ground for fraud. The absence of global regulation, a general lack of experienced personnel, security holes created by bugs from software vendors, a lack of understanding of technology by the average user, and easy access to the Internet from anywhere, makes the Internet a tempting network for crime. Areas of vulnerability and of common security leaks include chat rooms, e-mail, browsers, and modems.
Electronic commerce (e-commerce) can be defined as using an electronic network to simplify and speed up all stages of the business process, from design and making, to buying, selling, and delivering (Furnell and Karweni, 1999). Because the Internet is fast, reasonable, reliable, inexpensive, and universally accessible it is considered to be perhaps the best modern method for business's to communicate with their customers and with their partners. …