E-Commerce: Security and Privacy

As the evolution of the internet and purchasing online becomes popular, so do the security factors that contribute to the ways of eliminating fraud, theft, and acquiring personal information. E-commerce has created many new ways for customers to make payments including e-cash, e-cheques, and e-wallets. In the 21st century, many organizations worked hard at securing communications and payments made through e-commerce transactions. In doing so, customers would be able to feel a sense of trust, confidence and assurance that their information is safe. Many technological developments are being tested and today even implemented through that very system, of e-payments. Already being used today are smart-cards and e-wallets, which in fact work well at creating a safeguard for customers information. Customers now have the convenience of quick and more efficient ways of making transactions and saving data effortlessly with the click of a button. Authentication programs such as VeriSign Secure Site Program, allows one to learn more about web sites users visited before they submit any confidential information, in addition to permitting one to submit sensitive information like one's own credit card number. Such programs are being used on sites such as Ryerson's website, where students can make payments through the system where credit card information is used. Public key infrastructure and digital certificates help companies battle the wave of illegal activity and enhance the business models. Today many businesses are using firewalls as a way to add security to a network. Virtual Private Network allows users to gain secure access to its organizations network. Companies that have used these technologies are paving the way for future security methods. Encryption and decryption are always used whenever secure sites are accessed so that users that enter information can not be accessed by unauthorized people. 56 bit used before and the 128-bit encryption is becoming the