A full look at DG HYP's security can be found at this site .
The forward momentum of technology makes it difficult to assess what is the near future and what is the present (by the time this report is read, at least one of the major Internet security applications would have had a 'patch' released to improve it). .
It is clear that there are several main forms of security likely to provide the benchmark for safe financial transactions.
The most widely used form of security is Netscape's 'Secure Socket Layer' or 'SSL Protocol'. It uses the standard PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) to transfer private information (e.g. credit/debit card details) from the client i.e. the customer, to the server, or seller. This application has become standard in most e-business tools and is said to provide the most safety to customers and businesses. Click here for a more complex guide to SSL .
Encryption is currently largely used in conjunction with credit card transactions on the WWW, however as some of the examples given show, the current standard of encryption being used is not high enough to shut out consumer fears.
Current standards in 'digital signatures' or 'cryptography' are perhaps the best example available of how secure financial transactions can be. .
These can guarantee the authenticity of information and the information's source. However, certificates must be granted to use these and there is currently no worldwide standard to assure the quality of such signatures. This clearly leaves the appeal of such technologies less viable.
Sites such as Shields UP! aim to help both business and individuals to allay fears about security by telling them just how safe their computer systems are. .
However it has been argued that places such as this have the adverse affect on users and just cause more concern.
Its not just technological process that will determine the future of business. In order to assure consumers of the safety of the WWW, appropriate legal framework needs to be introduced.
