Prioritising Security in E-Commerce
Posted on: Monday, 14 November 2005, 00:00 CST
By Ahmad Kushairi
SECURITY is definitely high on the agenda of many countries these days, as terrorism continues to rear its ugly head in several parts of the world, resulting in the loss of lives and other destructions. Many Governments have taken the necessary measures to combat terrorism and ensure the safety of their people.
As in the real world, security is also very much an issue in cyberspace. As more businesses go online, many are exposed to cyberspace threats and finding themselves grappling with information security. It is thus not surprising that security spending now constitutes a significant portion of information and communications technology (ICT) spending among organisations, large and small.
Efforts are focused on deploying effective technologies to keep information secure and make surfing in general, and e-commerce in particular, much safer.
As in the real world, ensuring security in cyberspace is easier said than done. While organisations spend a great deal on beefing up security, there is no guarantee that everything will be fine. Online security risks seem to be increasing, given the existence of more insidious computer viruses, malicious software such as spyware, and incidents of next- generation threats such as phishing and pharming.
The impact of all these is of course, loss of customers confidence, which would be a big blow to efforts to promote e- commerce on a global scale.
A recent survey of 1,250 Canadians commissioned by security product vendor Symantec Corp seems to suggest so. There still remains much apprehension on the part of online shoppers, as threats such as hackers and identity theft dominate their minds.
The onus is therefore on businesses that use online channels to continue to place security high on their priority list.
Failure to do so could lead to negative consequences. There will be no loss of lives, fortunately. But e-commerce could suffer a slow death, as more people turn their backs on cyberspace business for traditional shopping.
That in itself, is a big loss.
Source: New Straits Times
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