E-business Foundations and Basic Concepts - Research Paper Example

E-business Foundations and Basic Concepts Number Department Trust and Security Quality web hosting service providers for organizations ensure the websites of their client businesses are available via the World Wide Web. They provide space for virtual data storage and access through ownership or a lease. Web hosts also provide Internet connectivity to clients. From simple file hosting and sharing via the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to sophisticated cloud computing services, web hosts have become the archetype for modern businesses.

The sophistication of the processes has raised security issues, especially for users (Kajan, 2011). Services including web browsing, e-mail, Internet faxing, voice-over-IP (VoIP) and instant messaging are affected by security issues. However, the use of forward secrecy in which it is impossible to derive temporary session key from the permanent asymmetric secret key makes the use of the services more secure. HTTP vs HTTPS Hypertext Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) allows web users to communicate online with other web sites, while Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) ensures the security of such communications through an encryption (Kajan, 2011).

With HTTPS, third parties cannot eavesdrop on information exchanges across websites. For instance, one may get an e-mail notification on a sale of a product but when it comes to the entry of personal or confidential information such as credit card number, password or social security number it is done securely on HTTPS sites. Public-key cryptography Public key cryptography is a security algorithm which is composed of two different but mathematically linked entry points for private and public (Kajan, 2011).

Whereas the latter key encrypts plaintext or corroborates the authenticity of a digital signature, the former key helps to create digital signature or decrypt ciphertext. Network security Examples of bad network security practices include; use of simple and or guessable passwords, failing to sign out from a web interface, and opening unnecessary firewall ports. VPN A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an internally created Internet connection within an organization. A VPN helps organizations to cut costs when using leased Wide Area Network lines, and long-distance telephone services.

Browser cookies A browser cookie is a tiny piece of data that websites send to user’s web browsers for storage while browsers surf the website. Cookies send back details of the user’s previous browsing activity to the server. Cookies enable web servers to remember important information such as goods which a user has filled in a shopping cart. Cookie myths: a) browser cookies track every activity of Internet users – the truth is that cookies will remember only the information that an individual has already entered on particular Internet sites; b) cookies are viruses and may spam messages or create unnecessary popups - the truth is that they are merely text files; and c) viruses can extract personal information from the cookies – cookie text files cannot reveal such information (Kajan, 2011).

Web application security A web application refers to any software whose operations is supported by a web browser or has a programming language that is compatible with a web browser such as JavaScript. Cloud computing is an example of the business use of a web app. Making web apps user friendly, and logging out idle accounts by web administrators will improve their security. Security certificates A security certificate enables an organization to host a secure website with adequate encryption.

By ensuring a web site encrypts the information and has a functional certificate, people can help safeguard themselves against hackers who create mischievous sites to collect information from an organization (Kajan, 2011). Setting the website to begin with HTTPS rather than HTTP is the best way to obtain a security certificate. Recruitment and work opportunities on the World Wide Web LinkedIn enables organizations to post videos and photos of their internal processes, advertise for jobs and get the right applicants to fill such positions; b) with a company page, HR managers can link with top performers and woo them into their companies for a higher productivity, and; c) companies can build their credibility through LinkedIn by making essential updates via blogs, twitter and other social networking sites.

Online employment markets Online employment markets such as the jobsmarket.com enables job applicants to post their resumes online for browsing and invitation to interviews by potential employers. Other work opportunities online Jobcentreonline.com is another website that outsources freelance IT work. They place an ad for potential applicants to apply (Kajan, 2011). With an online application form and portal to upload one’s personal details, and academic qualifications, they screen and shortlist the applicants.

Then they contact the qualifying candidates, carry out a short telephone interview and give them the job. Upon satisfactory completion of the job, their payment is processed and sent through international payment systems such as Payoneer, Moneybookers or Paypal. E-business quality control Electronic business is increasingly becoming competitive each passing day and with its quality being based on content. To survive in this environment, best practices push business organizations and publishers to measure and present the best website content as possible.

Generating quality content revolves around providing the audience with vital information that creates and maintains trust, integrity, and engagement. eBay and Amazon are examples of companies that publish quality online content. Search engine optimization Search engine optimization (SEO) entails the process of influencing the appearance of a website or page naturally in search engines results. Google SEO guidelines requires users to research the words they want to search before writing the content; write the key words from the list of Google SEO keywords provided; Google’s Keyword Density Checker will try to match the words and arrange the results in order of priority.

Some of the myths surrounding SEO include; billing affecting the order of the results; companies that top the results are endorsed by Google; and that Google spies on users of Google Analytics (Kajan, 2011). Google web Analytics Google web Analytics is a service that creates comprehensive statistics regarding the source and flow of web traffic. The tool also measures conversions and billings. The service is mainly used by advertising firms and not webmasters and technologists who came up with the idea.

Alternatives to Google web Analytics include: Clicky, Mixpanel, FoxMetrics, Open Web Analytics, Kissmetrics, Logfile Analysis, and Website Tracking Tools. Industry trends Google products that are good for business include: Google Chrome, a web browser; Gmail, an e-mail service; Google Drive, a cloud memory application that stores data of up to 10GB; and Google Analytics, an application for measuring the web traffic, especially for billing ads. Cloud computing Cloud computing refers to a number of computing philosophies that encompass a wide range of computers linked through a virtual communication system.

A computer cloud has applications, platforms and networks that businesses can use for marketing and communications with customers. Software as a service Software as a service (SaaS) enables businesses and individual users access to application software and memory storage, provided one has Internet connection. Unlike traditional desktop applications where users purchase software and install them on their remote computers, for SaaS application software can be accessed and used on the servers of service providers.

Salesforce, Basecamp, and QuickBook are examples of clouds (Kajan, 2011). Social networks for business Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and Google+ are the major social networking sites used today (Kajan, 2011). Business organizations can set up pages and attract followers online. Business organizations can then use this relationship to communicate, introduce new brands and market their existing products and services. Smartphone Apps Smartphone apps are application software created to run on smartphones.

A business can benefit from smartphone apps such as LinkedIn by getting into contact with potential staff. References Kajan, E. 2011. Electronic Business Interoperability: Concepts, Opportunities and Challenges. New York: Idea Group Inc (IGI).