Internet Security: A Global Concern
How many people make purchases online? What is the percentage of Americans who conduct their personal financial business over the Internet? Did he or she ever think that their credit card information could possibly be stolen? Internet security for online buyers and eMerchants has become more of a problem with the enormous growth of eCommerce on the Internet in recent years. The security and privacy of data on the Internet may be at greater risk than one would like to think. Many consumers avoid using the Internet to do their banking and purchasing solely because they have concerns about the access that could be gained to their financial information, including credit card numbers, account balances, and Internet usage history. At a recent conference on Internet security and privacy, John McCarthy of Forrester Research estimated that eBusiness "could have been $12 billion greater this past year if consumers' security concerns were fully addressed" (qtd. in Frishberg 2). There is now some protection to help defend against the threat of hackers, but still no guaranteed solution to the Internet security problem. While the Internet can never be totally secure, major steps have been made in security technology in the attempt to m
One aspect of the issue of privacy is the opportunity for online businesses to share or sell customer information to other businesses. They also can participate in the common practice of placing "cookies" (small text files that tag Web site visitor's computers and track where they've been online) on the user's hard drive that many casual Internet surfers are not even aware exist (Kanaley 2). Businesses and advertisers can utilize the Internet user's information in an effort to target potential buyers. Many people believe that this is a breach of confidentiality as outlined in most privacy policies. There are safeguards and solutions to a great many of the Internet security issues. New technology can be effective if it is utilized correctly and by more users and eBusinesses than at present. At a recent conference hosted by Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, 200 invited participants discussed the privacy and security of the Internet. Bill Gates demonstrated smart cards that can unlock doors and secured areas of the company intranet and new software designed to easily screen privacy statements of Web sites for the user (Frishberg 1). Encryption of data is the most used form of security currently in place. Secure Socket Layers (known as SSL) is a standard "method of transmitting secure information, such as credit card numbers over the Internet" (ITTA 38). The data becomes vulnerable when it is not secured in encrypted form on a company's servers. It can then be accessed by employees or hackers without much difficulty (ITTA 38). Privacy policies in themselves have become an issue to both e-businesses and their customers. A privacy policy is a statement made by Web site that explains how the site will use the information that they have about the customer. Most of these policies are considered by experts to be "not worth the pixels they're printed on" (Davis qtd. in Kenaley 1). The statements can be ridiculously difficult to decipher and misleading. There are several consumer advocate groups and new privacy protection businesses that are raising the awareness of Internet users to the ease with which their personal data can be compromised. Jennifer Granholm, the attorney general for the state of Michigan, is currently pursuing a number of "consumer protection cases" (Kanaley 2) that focus on improper usage of customer information including misrepresentations in eGames, Inc.'s privacy policy (Kanaley 2). The impending litigation brings greater government involvement than the industry would wish. As the voluntary privacy policies fall short of their intended goal, more discussion turns to the creation of a government agency to police the industry (Kocher qtd. in Oakes 2). ake this idea a reality. The two issues involved in Internet security are: data encryption a
Some common words found in the essay are:
Integrity Sciences, Introduction Cryptography, Security Institute, Forrester Research, FBI CIA, , Jennifer Granholm, Internet ITTA, American Express, Magic Solutions, internet security, security privacy, security internet, oakes 2, internet security privacy, kanaley 2, credit card, web site, security technology, privacy policies, csi 1, users access data, qtd oakes 2,
Approximate Word count = 1886
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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