E-Commerce Security IT - Essay Example

COMPUTING PROJECT RESEARCH LITERATURE Network security is arranged with e-commerce in a very interesting way in the present, as is shown by the dynamic literature on this subject. This is an arrangement in which policy is involved. Various styles of statistics and various arguments must be mentioned with alacrity both politically and socio-economically. One of the issues surrounding e-commerce IT management and security comes out in a study that proclaims that fifty seven percent of electronic commerce operations will have a security breach before other online sites and these breaches are common to some who do not monitor ports as extensively, and are thus not financially viable: statistics vary, but “A current digital certificate is required for every internet server handling these transactions” (Beale, 2001). Various systems of defense are available. Everyone, including consumers, who uses the internet has a valid and reasonable expectation that their personal privacy will not be encroached upon, and it is up to e-commerce systems to respond to this expectation responsibly. However, sometimes these rules are broken, so the individual using the internet should be aware of how to keep their privacy valued. “Sites should clearly disclose how personal data from site visitors and customers will be used. Personal data includes name, address, phone number and credit card number. Sites should disclose whether they use browser-tracking mechanisms such as ‘cookies,’ and other technologies such as Web beacons, bugs and robots” (Consumer Webwatch, 2004). Of course, the purpose of many bugs and robots is to remain undetected, so this expectation quoted above may be slightly unreasonable. In the context of the issue of security on wireless networks, all it takes to form a representative database of information is a little common sense and an effort to be responsible for the information that one is willing to accept. In the context of this database it is hoped that from the e-commerce perspective the internet should be approached by the individual with caution and reserve, rather than with the assumption that everything is to be believed. This is especially relevant to websites with a consumer function. If any of elements are missing from the website, or are only made available after it has been processed already in the system, the risk of entering the website there will increase, and effective security measures will be needed to protect the consumer from making transactions by contacting their ISP for specific restrictions available. Generally technology is seen in critical literature, even at the policy level, as being inherently more positive than as a security risk. This shows a mixed potrayal of argument and counter-argument. “Sweeping generalizations about the positive or negatie effects of the digital age are common, but they fail to establish whether there is one online community or perhaps many. Previous studies have often associated a single type of experience with going online” (Kamarck, 2002). There is possible risk in every enviornment. Although there are occasional needs to disclose information, effective e-commerce security measures prevent the damage that could result from unauthorized destruction, modification, or disclosure. In this research the solution proposed to protect this information in organizations is a goals and scenario analysis. This offers a methodological and systematic approach to both formulating policy goals and guaranteeing that systems requirements are in compliance with these policies (Anton and Earp, 2000). The heuristics of various analysis methods were confirmed in terms of goals which looked towards the future that were tinged with optimism. E-commerce security IT may be a necessary enabler of change but it is the change itself that delivers benefits, not the IT. IT projects come in many shapes and sizes - a one-size-fits-all approach to managing them is unnecessarily restrictive. “IT project management is a multidisciplinary, multiroled and multiskilled activity that is best conducted by a team rather than a ‘superhero’ project manager. Delivering benefit and satisfying time and cost budgets are complementary but independent project goals” (Five Directors, 2002). The history of commerce is fairly long, but the recent emergence of wireless networking has the potential to revolutionize the way people think about e-commerce in regards to computing. There are many serious threats to network security, including viruses, worms, hackers, Trojan Horses, spyware, spam, and other variants. These threats are evolving because network security increases in importance as the technology developed by hackers and spam marketers increases in sophistication over time. The dynamic IT professional of today therefore needs to constantly keep abreast of current industry developments so that the professional’s clients continue to receive the optimum care they expect, balanced against privacy issues that are becoming more important as individuals and organizations are worried about things like identity theft and fraud. Protecting the client side of the network from competitors is a responsibility that requires creativity and perseverance, especially in a corporate environment in which costs increase exponentially with constant updates. Therefore it is advisable to know about the many options available regarding competition the client side of the network, so that the IT professional can inform those consumers who may be worried about privacy most effectively in terms of their options. Most firewalls operate within this paradigm in a relatively simple way, but generally, the more expensive a firewall system is, the more sophisticated its applications are. Most common firewalls are rather generalized in their port applications, “But an intelligent application level firewall can monitor whats happening on port 139 (where password protection occurs) and step in to completely block an offending remote computer… It can automatically ‘black list’ the originating IP address to completely prevent any and all future access from that outsider” (Gibson, 2003). When it comes to simply protecting ports from attack, however, most firewalls essentially do the same job. “Network security can be friend or foe. It can clog a network so the network barely runs, or it can make information more freely available, so workers become more productive” (Gittleson, 2001, p. 49). Although it may not be possible to provide complete network security at the present, the future may see a decrease in the number of loopholes and a convergence of security measures. There are many options, including software firewalls, certificate authorities, cookie killers, pop-up killers, and other avenues of protection, which can be combined and utilized to help protect the often-compromised navigability and computer safety of concerned users, but are also offered by the company’s competition. The company faces competition from other public databases as well in terms of the ability to sell to advertisers, including adware and spyware companies who conduct market research. This has led to a present environment in which e-commerce and network security are increasingly being of concern, but also paradoxically, are increasingly being outsourced. REFERENCE Anton, Annie I. and Earp, Julia B. (2000). Strategies for Developing Policies and Requirements for Secure Electronic Commerce Systems. www.theprivacyplace.org/presentations/ccs00_slides.pdf. Beale, Matthew W. (2001). Study Examines E-Commerce Security Issues. www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/814.html. Gibson, Steve (2003). Shields Up. Gibson Research Corporation. http://grc.com/su-firewalls.htm Gittleson, Howie (2001). Red Hot Firewalls. America’s Network, pp. 48-50. Kamark and Nye (2002). Governance.com. Washington DC: Brookings Institution Press. Kirk, E.E. (1996). Evaluating Information Found on the Internet. www.library.jhu.edu/elp/useit/evaluate. Klotz, R (2004). The Politics of Internet Communication. New York: Rowman and Littlefield. Tyson, Jeff (2002). How Wireless Networking Works. http://www.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm. Consumer Webwatch Guidelines (2004). www.consumerwebwatch.org/bestpractices/index.html. Five directors on IT project management (2002). Computer Weekly, November 21. Read More