Course: Introduction do eBusiness

Module 3: Privacy, Security, and Payments

Module Goals

After completing this module, students will be able to do the following:

  • Describe the nature and the scope of the security and privacy issues confronting eBusinesses.
  • Identify the key security threats in the e-commerce environment.
  • Characterize the importance of policies, procedures, and laws in creating security.
  • Discuss how technology helps secure Internet communications channels and protect networks, servers, and clients
  • Describe the features and functionality of electronic billing presentment and payment systems.

 

Overview

Ensuring privacy and security was much easier up to the age of the Internet. Physical security was the primary concern and privacy meant blocking views with plantings, screens, drapes, and sunglasses, from time to time. With so much of our lives now online and networking connecting the whole world together, the number and sources of threats have exploded. Living in an exclusive gated and actively patrolled community and working in similarly protected office builds are no longer assurance of security or privacy.

The real issue at the heart of the problem was the fundamental architecture and design of the Internet and the Web. Both were created with a focus on collaboration, flexibility, and adaptability to deal with changing loads and single points of failure. Security and privacy were not a consideration at the start and once something is given away, it’s very hard to take it back. This hole was not lost on many, and two groups started to develop. One was a collection of individuals who craved the attention and respect of their peers and earned it by accessing ever more sensitive systems and data just to show that they could do it. The other group was interested in leveraging these newfound vulnerabilities for profit and power.

The full extent of the problem and the actual damages incurred are hard to assess, since governments and those directly affected are not interested in having the magnitude of problem made public out of fear that public reaction might damage economies and businesses. There are technical solutions that could be used, but governments really do not want people to have total secure and private communications and systems. They want to be able tap into information flows in order to gather the data they need to catch criminals, gangs, and terrorists, and thwart the plans and actions of enemy nations.

The result is known collectively as cyber warfare. The “good guys” try to fix vulnerabilities before too many are harmed, while the “bad guys” strive to come up with new and evermore clever ways to exploit them. The real problem is that there are many more “bad guys” looking to make it rich than there are good guys trying to keep things secure.

A sad truth is that most consumers are not aware they are their own worst enemy. They complain about the hassles of dealing with the security “features” of their tools and systems and actively work to circumvent them in order to “better do my job” with no real insight about the risks they are taking. What is even more interesting is how many individuals, whose actions do lead to a loss, want to blame someone else and be compensated for the problems their own behaviors caused.

 

Goals Alignment

  • University Mission Based Outcomes – 2, 4, 5
  • Program Learning Goals – 1, 2, 4
  • Course Learning Objectives – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7

 

 Learning Materials

  • Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2021). E-commerce: Business, technology and society (16th ed.). Pearson. ISBN 9780136931720. Read Chapter 5.

Additional Resources:

Assignment

Discussion Question:

View this YouTube video: How Secure is Biometric Authentication Technology and Biometric Data?

After exploring the video answer the following questions:

  • Discuss how biometric devices help improve security?
  • What particular type of security breach do they reduce?
  • Should companies be permitted to share your biometric data? Why or why not?