Amazon's Data Assurance Policies - Assignment Example

Amazon’s customers receive immediate notification of whether the transaction has been successful.  This is done first immediately online, giving them an opportunity to keep a printed record as well as being stored in their account history, which is viewable online.  An electronic mail is also sent to the customer as a further notification and security measure. In a credit card transaction there are three stages to processing an order; namely, authentication of the cardholder, authorization for the transaction from the card issuer, and eventually settlement by the card issuer with Amazon.

  Once the card issuer authorizes the transaction Amazon will send a confirmation to the customer.  In a successful credit card transaction for an existing customer the following information assurance policies are embedded within Amazon’s order processing system to safeguard customers, Amazon and the card issuer against the risk of identity theft: Amazon’s information assurance policies ensure that it does not collect any data from customers that is not required either to facilitate online transactions or to improve the quality of their experience whilst on the site.

  For example, behind the scenes, Amazon ensures that all credit card numbers are transferred to and stored on a computer that is not accessible by network or modem or connected to the Internet.  This is done via a one-way interface.  This acts as another layer of protection from internal security risks as most staff will have no reason to access that server. Often the weakest point in the information assurance policy is interaction with the end-user, as an organization relies on the end-user to keep personal data accurate and safeguard against threats to the integrity of network systems to which they have access.

  Amazon’s success here is mixed.  For example, customers are forced to keep their personal data accurate in order to be authenticated for purchasing from the site and Amazon does not collect personal data for any other reason.