Security Issues in E-business
E-commerce systems are based upon internet use, which provides open and easy communications on a global basis. However, because the internet is unregulated, unmanaged and uncontrolled, it poses a wide range of risks and threats to the systems operating on it.
Some of the common security threats you may come across:
1. Malware
Malware is short for “malicious software.” Wikipedia describes malware as a term used to mean a “variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.” Malware could be computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, dishonest spyware, and malicious rootkits.
2. Computer virus
A computer virus is a small piece of software that can spread from one infected computer to another. The virus could corrupt, steal, or delete data on your computer—even erasing everything on your hard drive. A virus could also use other programs like your email program to spread itself to other computers. Threat, a computer virus is a program written to alter the way a computer operates, without the permission or knowledge of the user. A virus replicates and executes itself, usually doing damage to your computer in the process
3. Spam
Spam in the security context is primarily used to describe email spam —unwanted messages in your email inbox. Spam, or electronic junk mail, is a nuisance as it can clutter your mailbox as well as potentially take up space on your mail server. Unwanted junk mail advertising items you don’t care for is harmless, relatively speaking. However, spam messages can contain links that when clicked on could go to a website that installs malicious software onto your computer.
4. Phishing
Phishing scams are fraudulent attempts by cybercriminals to obtain private information. Phishing scams often appear in the guise of email messages designed to appear as though they are from legitimate sources. For example, the message would try to lure you into giving your personal information by pretending that your bank or email service provider is updating its website and that you must click on the link in the email to verify your account information and password details.
5. Spyware Threats
A serious computer security threat, spyware is any program that monitors your online activities or installs programs without your consent for profit or to capture personal information. We’ve amassed a wealth of knowledge that will help you combat spyware threats and stay safe online.
6. Hackers
People, not computers, create computer security threats and malware. Hackers are programmers who victimize others for their own gain by breaking into computer systems to steal, change or destroy information as a form of cyber-terrorism. What scams are they using lately? Learn how to combat dangerous malware and stay safe online
7. Bluesnarfing
The act of stealing personal data, specifically calendar and contact information, from a Bluetooth enabled device.
8. Social Engineering
Tricking computer users into revealing computer security or private information, e.g. passwords, email addresses, etc, by exploiting the natural tendency of a person to trust and/or by exploiting a person’s emotional response.
9. Trojan horse
Users can infect their computers with Trojan horse software simply by downloading an application they thought was legitimate but was in fact malicious. Once inside your computer, a Trojan horse can do anything from record your passwords by logging keystrokes (known as a keystroke logger) to hijacking your webcam to watch and record your every move.
10. Adware
Is a form of threat where your computer will start popping out a lot of advertisement. It can be from non-adult materials to adult materials because any ads will make the host some money. It is not really harmful threat but can be pretty annoying.
11. Cookies
Cookies is not really a Malware. It is just something used by most websites to store something into your computer. It is here because it has the ability to store things into your computer and track your activities within the site. If you really don’t like the existence of cookies, you can choose to reject using cookies for some of the sites which you do not know.
12. Keylogger
Something that keeps a record of every keystroke you made on your keyboard. Keylogger is a very powerful threat to steal people’s login credential such as username and password. It is also usually a sub-function of a powerful Trojan.
