There are security attacks in e-Commerce system and the onus is on the development team to be proactive in handling security threats, and for the shopper to be vigilant when shopping online.
E-Commerce may be defined as the buying of goods and/or services over the Internet and this definition can be found over the internet everywhere. With more and more people becoming computer-savvy, several suppliers of goods and service providers are today having strong online presence.
Advantages of e-commerce
The online shopping is extremely beneficial to the customers as they can know exhaustively about the product or nature of services and also do a comparative price study before finalizing purchase. E-Commerce systems are extremely helpful in online banking and brokerage services as customers can obtain bank statements online, transfer funds, pay credit card bills, buy and sell securities, and get to know all market information with the click of the mouse.
Basic security concerns
There is no denying security threats to e-Commerce Web sites are on the increase. The question arises as to why e-commerce sites are prone to security risks. Is it because the e-Commerce software is designed without adequate care for security factors or is the number of cyber criminals on the rise? Analysts claim that the tools necessary to perform an assault on the Internet is fairly easy. All that the criminal or the hacker (which we often call) needs is access to a computer and an Internet connection.
Nature of attack
If an attacker performs theft on the Internet the attacker can easily make escape without leaving any identity and the source of the attack will also remain untraceable. The hacker’s target points can be easily identified – shopper’s computer, the network connection between the shopper and website server, website server and software vendor.
It is a well-known fact that millions of computers are added to the Internet every month. Equally well-known is the fact that the knowledge of security vulnerabilities by most system users is vague. E-commerce security threats also arise because software and hardware vendors, in their quest to ensure that their products are easy to install, ship products with security features disabled. Enabling security features requires some technical skills and the average user seldom attempt to enable the security features. This opens the gateway for attackers.
Possible safety measures
E-commerce safety can be largely enhanced if certain concrete steps are taken:
- Users learn and understand the risk elements and exercise care
- Personal firewalls are installed
- All personal information is stored in encrypted form
- Use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol to protect information flowing between the client and the e-Commerce Web site.
- Use appropriate password policies, firewalls, and conduct routine external security audits.
Notwithstanding the presence of hackers, e-Commerce is rapidly expanding and people may find e-commerce more secure than the commerce of real-world. Most online shopping companies involved in e-Commerce are fully alive to the security threats and are taking steps to prevent hacking to protect the customers.
Reference for Writing E-Commerce Security - E-commerce Security and Attacks