Privacy issues in Ecommerce1
PRIVACY ISSUES IN E-COMMERCE
The adaptation of commercial activities on the internet is among one of the most interesting development of the technological age. E-commerce has revolutionized the business world by providing a wide range of cost effective opportunities for conducting business in different global markets from the convenience of homes and offices. However, consumer concerns regarding privacy greatly hinders the progression of E-commerce. Westin (1967) defined privacy as the power of an individual to control the terms under which their personal information is accessed and used .Different laws and legislations have established privacy as a fundamental human right. For example, Article 8 of Human Rights Acts (1998) states that "Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence”. This therefore makes privacy a serious issue in E-commerce. The sharing of vital data through daily transactions implemented online not only affects individual’s privacy but raises security concerns as well. As a part of the Information security framework, E-commerce security affects a wide range of components including Data security and Computer security (Niranjanamurthy and Chahar,2013).
There are two categories of computer threats namely; insiders and outsiders (Stamatellos, 2007). Inside threats originate from factors or personnel within the organization. Outside threats on the other hand generally consist of malefactors like hackers, cyber criminals or individuals who have no direct connection with the company. They not only pose threats to businesses and consumers but also introduce new security challenges to other sectors like the banking industry through the integration of online electronic payment systems.
Another factor that also plays a role is consumer ignorance. Most buyers have obscure ideas about the risks involved in conducting transactions on the web and as a result not all necessary precautions are taken. This
The adaptation of commercial activities on the internet is among one of the most interesting development of the technological age. E-commerce has revolutionized the business world by providing a wide range of cost effective opportunities for conducting business in different global markets from the convenience of homes and offices. However, consumer concerns regarding privacy greatly hinders the progression of E-commerce. Westin (1967) defined privacy as the power of an individual to control the terms under which their personal information is accessed and used .Different laws and legislations have established privacy as a fundamental human right. For example, Article 8 of Human Rights Acts (1998) states that "Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence”. This therefore makes privacy a serious issue in E-commerce. The sharing of vital data through daily transactions implemented online not only affects individual’s privacy but raises security concerns as well. As a part of the Information security framework, E-commerce security affects a wide range of components including Data security and Computer security (Niranjanamurthy and Chahar,2013).
There are two categories of computer threats namely; insiders and outsiders (Stamatellos, 2007). Inside threats originate from factors or personnel within the organization. Outside threats on the other hand generally consist of malefactors like hackers, cyber criminals or individuals who have no direct connection with the company. They not only pose threats to businesses and consumers but also introduce new security challenges to other sectors like the banking industry through the integration of online electronic payment systems.
Another factor that also plays a role is consumer ignorance. Most buyers have obscure ideas about the risks involved in conducting transactions on the web and as a result not all necessary precautions are taken. This