Technological Issues

Availability of telecom infrastructure Interoperability The ability of systems running in different operating environments to communicate and work together

E.g., clients running Windows XP can access Web pages from servers running Linux.

For the interoperability to work, the same set of rules (protocols) must

be followed

Connectivity to existing systems (backward compatibility) Web-based front-end systems must be able to connect with back-end legacy systems that tend to be large, complex, and poorly documented Must use middleware to translate data from one system to another Internet pipeline capacity to support efficient transmission of

possibly large-sized contents (music, videos, high-resolution graphics/photos)

Security Issues
Threats to systems Three types of security threats Denial of Service, Unauthorized access, and Theft and Fraud Denial of Service (DOS) Two primary types of DOS attacks: spamming and viruses

Spamming Sending unsolicited commercial emails to individuals

Smurfing or DDOS (distributed denial of service attacks) hackers placing software agents onto a number of third-party systems and setting them off to simultaneously send requests to an intended target

Security Issues
Viruses: self-replicating computer programs designed

to perform unwanted events Worms: special viruses that spread using direct Internet connections Trojan Horses: disguised as legitimate software and trick users into running the program

Security Systems (Unauthorized access)

Illegal access to systems, applications or data Passive unauthorized access listening to communications channel for finding secrets May use content for damaging purposes Active unauthorized access Modifying system or data Message stream modification Changes intent of messages, eg., to abort or delay a negotiation on a contract

Security Systems
Masquerading or Spoofing sending a message that

appears to be from someone else

Impersonating another user at the name(changing the

Fromfield) or IP levels (changing the source and/or destination IP address of packets in the network)

Snifferssoftware that illegally access data traversing

across the network

Security Systems (Theft & Fraud)

Data theft
Fraud occurs when the stolen data is used or modified Theft of software via illegal copying from companys

servers Theft of hardware, like laptops

Privacy
Threats to data Data collection

Faster and easier data collection thru online technology

Cross-referencing (aggregation) Consumer data with online purchasing habits collected with or without their knowledge

Usage tracking Patterns of online activity lead to inferences about the users product preferences for providing customized pop-up ads and referring sites Spyware - type of program that watches what users do with their computer and then sends that information over the Internet to the spywares author

Major info. Gathering tools

Cookies Track individuals at site Spyware Record keyboard activity Search engine behavioural targeting Uses prior search history,demographic, etc interests to target advertising Shopping carts Collect detailed payments & purchase info Forms Site transaction logs Collect & analyze detailed info on page content viewed

Privacy (Phishing Techniques)

Misspelled URLs or the use of subdomains, e.g.,

http://www.yourbank.com.example.com Use of JavaScript commands to alter the address bar by placing a picture of the legitimate URL over the fake one, or by closing the fake URL and opening a new one containing the legitimate URL

Perceptual Issue: Trust

One of the most important barriers to the use of e-business Hosmer(1995): the expectation that the other party will behave in

accordance with commitments, negotiate honestly, and not take advantage, even when the opportunity arises. Trust lies somewhere between total trust or complete lack of trust Level of trust may change over time as one becomes more familiar with the other party through experience or other knowledge Characteristics of e-business transactions that make trust important
Distance Technology e.g., buyers must trust a merchant to be knowledgeable

enough to make use of IT to implement some security measure to protect their credit card numbers

Perceptual Issue: Trust (Components of Trust)

Predictability Establishing clear expectations e.g., consistently sending email notifications of order confirmation, and of order shipment Reliability Providing follow through (do according to what merchants promise) Technical competence Ability to carry out responsibilities (and show this clearly to potential users) Fiduciary responsibility Act on behalf of the customers interests (e.g., on-line travel agencies)

Societal issues
Telecommunications Infrastructure Differences in cost of connecting and (cost/income) Access Inequalities Digital Divide and access to equipment Information Technology Skills Shortage Workforce shortage (large number of unfilled IT positions) Global movement of IT workers (brain drain) from developing countries to developed ones for higher salaries Retaining IT workers in the field (jobs rotations, providing training)

Intellectual Property Issues

Protection Copyrights software, arts (literature, artwork, music) Patents inventions Trademarks name brands and logos Global uniformity of laws different countries may enforce

software copyright laws differently Link liabilitylinking to other sites that publish materials belonging to other people without permission Domain names (who owns lakers.com?)
team or some individual

Patenting business processes Amazons 1-Click vs Barnes & Nobles Express Lane Pricelines name-your-price vs Expedias price matching system

Ethical Issues
Responsibility
Accountability Liability

UNCITRAL(United Nations Commission on International Trade And Law )

Established by the United Nations General Assembly

in 1966 "to promote the progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law Represent different legal, economic and social systems, and geographic regions of the world Entrusts Secretary-General with the role of designating an "appointing authority" upon request of a party

Model law on ecommerce

Enable & facilitate commerce conducted using

electronic means with a set of internationally acceptable rules aimed at removing legal obstacles and increasing legal predictability for electronic commerce Intended to overcome obstacles arising from statutory provisions that may not be varied contractually by providing equal treatment to paper-based and electronic information. Such equal treatment is essential for enabling the use of paperless communication, thus fostering efficiency in international trade

 Principle of non-discrimination ensures that a

document would not be denied legal effect, validity or enforceability solely on the grounds that it is in electronic form Principle of technological neutrality mandates the adoption of provisions that are neutral with respect to technology used Functional equivalence principle lays out criteria under which electronic communications may be considered equivalent to paper-based communications

 Model Law has two parts Part I covers E-commerce in general Part II covers E-commerce in specific areas

UN Model Interchange agreement for EDI

The Programme emphasizes legal issues which can be

readily defined and aims at developing guidance on those legal issues, and recommending appropriate solutions in the form of legal instruments or tools or changes in commercial practices These agreements generally apply only to the interchange of data and not to the underlying commercial contracts between the parties

 An interchange agreement is made between trading

partners setting out the rules they will adopt for using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) The agreement also details the individual roles and legal responsibilities of the trading partners for transmitting, receiving and storing electronic messages

GOI Act 2000

Provide legal recognition for transactions carried out by

means of EDI & other means of electronic communication, commonly referred to as "electronic commerce Involves the use of alternatives to paper-based methods of communication and storage of information Facilitate electronic filing of documents with the Government agencies and further to amend the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891 and the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934

 IT Act 2000 addressed the following issues: Legal Recognition of Electronic Documents Legal Recognition of Digital Signatures Offenses and Contraventions Justice Dispensation Systems for Cybercrimes

Legal issues for internet-based ecommerce

Drafting electronic contracts, addressing privacy issues and

attending to distinctive intellectual property concerns Taxation of Internet sales, purchases, and transactions Intellectual property filings to protect a website, including copyright registration and trademark registration for protectable aspects of the website Online copyright and trademark infringement Sales, leases and disputes involving domain names Developing website agreements and disputes involving:

Website development Custom software development and licensing Technology joint ventures Software consulting Purchase, sale or license of proprietary technology

Legal issues for internet-based ecommerce

Developing legal disclaimers for websites, including terms

and conditions, privacy policies and online sale or license agreements Legal aspects of online marketing Compliance with the SPAM Act Pay-per-click advertising, unfair Internet business practices and Internet scams such as domain name high-jacking Online defamation Locating the most advantageous countries and/or states for hosting your e-commerce website International issues and disputes International issues and dispute

Global Information Infrastructure(GII)

Governments, businesses, communities, and individuals

can work together to create a global information infrastructure which links "the world's telecommunication and computer networks together" and would enable the transmission of "every conceivable information and communication application." Internet is the default global information infrastructure Developing communications framework intended to eventually connect all telecommunications and computer networks world-wide Sometimes called a network of networks, the GII would eventually make all electronically stored or transmitted information accessible from anywhere on the planet

National Information Infrastructure (NII)

Proposed, advanced, seamless web of public and

private communications networks, interactive services, interoperable computer hardware and software, computers, databases, and consumer electronics to put vast amounts of information at users' fingertips Analyzing how national-level policy initiatives address the challenge of information technology, interactive content, and new applications, as well as the "information superhighway." These contributions examine the interplay of issues in different sectors, including telecommunications, broadcasting, publishing, and information technology