Review A Local E-Commerce Site

Hi everyone!

In this round of reviewing a local e-commerce site, I have chosen to do a review on blooming.com.my , which is a online florist website in Malaysia. Blooming Florist has now become a household name, as its quality service and heart-capturing flowers have captured the hearts of many both locally and abroad.

In this review, I will not be writing much about the history of this e-commerce site as that would be more of a write up. Rather, I will be sharing with all of you about the strengths and weaknesses of this website from an objective point of view, as this is my 1st time venturing into this website also. Let me walk you through my whole experience through this website...

Firstly, as I entered the the mainpage of this website, I was actually quite impressed and captivated by the simple yet charming website. The main page as shown below contain beautifully arranged links and components of the website. The first thing that actually caught my attention was the beautiful Chinese New Year Greeting on the top of the main webpage. Immediately, a smile is formed on my lips, as I already begin to feel that the owner of this website wants to connect with its customers and viewers like me .

the main web page

Next I decided to try out the purchasing of something from this website. So I had to start with registering myself, which was actually trouble free. Below is the sign up page...

After signing up, I was free to view do my puchasing. As Chinese New Year was approaching, I decided to purchase a Chinese New Year gift box. With the clear view of every single gft box available and its content as well as its price ( as in the picture below ), I decided on the 2nd item "CNY 2009-18: Empress".

main gift box page...

Lastly, I just had to enter all the necessary details at my express checkout page and it is done! A confirmation letter will then be sent to you. Below are the 2 pictures of the check out page - the upper and lower part of the page...

the top part of the page...

the lower part of the page...

Besides the easy process of signing up and purchasing gifts, the banner which on the top right hand corner of the main page that highlights to customers about the latest updates about this business, is easy to view, as it flows pass at a normal speed. The font and color chosen are also pleasing to the eyes.

However, there are also sevaral obvious weaknesses opf this website.

Firstly, in the main page of this website, on the left corner, there is a feature of under "Interactive" on "Click here for Live Support". However this is a feature that is basically useless as it is not available at all. When I clicked on the feature to try to find out more about their products, all I got was this...

I really do feel that instead of having just that pop-up or ntoice that this feature is not available now, the creators of this website should actually make it available. If not, it is best to just remove this feature, as it is a hugh disaapointment towards customers like me who desperately know next-to-nothing about flowers. It also a huge let down and embarassment to this website and company.

Secondly in the main page, towards the end there is this part on promotions...I feel that it is too clutterred up and is giving me a headache with so many things packed together. Perhaps the design or position should be changed and be spread out more, to give a better view.

the promotion sections is to messy and not easy to be viewed clearly...

As blooming.com.my also caters for customers outside Malaysia, I strongly suggest that this website should be available in more languages, as it is only available in English now. As the website can be translated into more languges, there are able to reach out to more customers from more nations.

All in all, after all has been said and done, I would give this website a 85% rating on my satisfaction towards this website especially on its user-friendly features. I hope that the owner(s) or creator(s) of this website will take note of my comments and improve on their weaknesses.

Have fun enjoying this website!

Link: http://www.blooming.com.my/blooming/

Things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in and e-auction

Internets bring convenience to the users, it allows indivuduals to communicate with others, pay bills, purchase things even by just staying at home. Therefore, alot of the e-commerce website appeared and fraud rate is getting higher since people are using them regularly. These e-commerce websites allow sellers to sell things and buyers to place their bid on the items they want. E-auction which is the most widely used online mechanism by certain website, for example Ebay and Lelong, people can shop easily on these websites by the pc on hand, and the price is probably lower then the market price.

However, in order to get the offer from internet, you may have to face some risks for being the target the fraudsters. Here are some tips that might help you to get rid fom them.

First, make sure the seller is a verified member of that particular website. Some sellers might refuse to tell you their phone number, but at least their phone number is known and verified by the website. A better way for prevention fraud is verification of IC, which needs some documents provide by the seller to get verified. It gives more security to the buyer.

Next, read the review or the feedback forum. Sellers build their reputation by having good feedback from their buyers. It gives precaution to others if the sellers cheat. Normally, when a buyer won a bid, he/she may have to pay before seller sending the items to buyer, thus, the victims are usually the buyers.

Last, physical verification is another way. This could be used only if

you are stay near to the seller or some particular places which are stated on the page that you place your bid, and pay money after receiving and checking the item you want, it called, COD (Cash On Delivery).

Hope these might help you on e-auction. Anything not clear, please do not hesitate to ask me by giving comment on my post.

Malaysia's E-government

I dread going to government offices.

It may be to apply for a new MyKad, to apply a passport, or to renew a driving license, what you get is just the same - long queue, a lot of hassle, and in the end, you have to come back a second time.

Now, with the widespread use of the Internet, government departments are setting up their own websites, to provide information and services to the citizens online. This is called electronic government (e-government).

In Malaysia, e-government started with the initiation of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), to lead Malaysia into the information age. Since then, the e-government has greatly increased the efficiency and effectiveness of almost all government functions.

There are 7 pilot projects in the e-government flagship application. These projects can be categorised into 3 groups as follows:


Government to Citizen (G2C)
Through Electronic Services, citizens can make transactions with government agencies, for example to pay utility bills or tax liabilities. These transactions can be done via eServices kiosks and over the internet in the comfort of one's own home at any convenient time.

To assist in job seeking and recruiting, the Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX) is implemented. The ELX is an online platform where employers and potential employees communicate. This platform is effective in matching jobs to candidates, in providing labour market information, and in assisting optimal labour utilization.

e-Syariah, the 7th project, is a system of case management for the syariah courts, to improve the quality, effectiveness and productivity of the courts' management and services.

Government to Business (G2B)
Only one project is under this category, and that is e-Procurement. This system enables suppliers to sell goods and services to the government via the internet. Transaction cycles are shortened and thus cost can be reduce.

Government to Government (G2G)
One of the most important projects under this category is the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS). It is a system developed for the Malaysian Public Service, with objectives including improving effective staffing and right-sizing of civil service, automating HR and operational processes, and promoting a paperless environment.

The Generic Office Environment (GOE) is a powerful document and office management solution that enables users to effectively and efficiently manage their office environment. It is fully web-based and has been customized based on local developed package, DRDok.

Lastly, there is the Project Monitoring System. This is an online system that monitors the entire lifecycle of national programs, i.e. from project application to approval to implementation, mid-term review and completion. With this system in place, Malaysia hopes to improve the quality of its projects by exchanging ideas for best practices and making effective decisions.

To improve customer adoption, many applications have been added to the e-government, such as filing of electronic tax returns, online renewal of driving license, registering voter information and SMS alerts on e-government services. Also, most websites are now bilingual, with Malay and English versions to suit the citizens' preference. Furthermore, besides major government agencies, many district and municipal councils have their own websites, mostly providing area-specific information to the local residents. Various advertisements are also published in the media to promote the awareness of the use of e-government services.

As is clearly seen, e-government has brought about many positive changes to the country. Even the e-government system itself is improving, ranking the 25th in the world - a fitting place as we move closer to Vision 2020.

Corporate Blogging : A New Marketing Communication Tool for Companies

Corporate blogs are business blogs that published and used by an organization to reach its organizational goals.It is another communications and marketing channel.However, unlike a press release, advertisement in a magazine or a listing in the Yellow Pages, corporate blogs are two-way communications.Blogging evangelists often speak of a conversation taking place in marketplaces.Participating in the blogging would gives companies a competitive edge in that conversation.Corporate blogs primarily are used for national branding.They allow companies to present accurate information without the filter of the media or advertising.

Although there are many different types of corporate blogs, most can be categorized as either external or internal.




Internal Blog :
An internal blogs, generally accessed through the corporation's internet, is a weblog that any employee can view.These can be used in lieu of meetings and e-mail discussions.They are very effective when schedules or employee locations make meetings impractical.Ideas can be categorized by topic, person and date, making achieving ideas and conversations easy.

Internal blogs are frequently uses to build and strengthen organizational culture, communicate company knowledge and provide teams with an effective collaboration tool.


External Blog :
An external blog is publicly available weblog where company employees, teams or spokespersons share their views.It is often used to announce new products and services, to explain and clarify policies, or to react on public criticism on certain issues.It also allows a window to the company culture and is often treated more informally than traditional press release, though a corporate blog often tries to accomplish similar goals as press release do.

There is also a special type of external blog, the CEO Blog where the CEO communicates directly to the outside world.The most famous example would have to be the blog of Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems.

External blog is frequently uses for strengthening the brand, relationships and the marketing or selling products and services.




Below are 5 ways how a corporate blog can benefit your organization :

(i) Build rapport with customers
At this time of writing, there are more than 100 million blogs worldwide.If you publish a corporate blog, you're giving your customers a channel to interact and get to know your brand and organization in a format that they're familiar and comfortable with. You will earn extra points from them because you speak their language.


(ii) Free feedback and suggestions from key constituents
Corporate blog gives you insights to what people are saying about your products, your brand, your competitors, your marketing from the comfort of your office chair.These insights come in the forms of comments on your blog or commentary and discussions that take place on other blogs.
(iii) Increased website traffic from higher search engine rankings
Because blogs are also easy to publish, you'll find yourself adding new content to your website more frequently.Search engines favour websites with fresh content and rank your blog higher in search results, which in turn results in a greater number of referrals from search engines to your website and blog.

(iv) Position your business as a thought leader
One of the most effective marketing strategies is " show, don't tell ".You can use your corporate blog to take advantage of this strategy by demonstrating your expertise and experience in your industry through commentary, guides, analysis, etc.The quality of your blog content reflects the quality of your organization.

(v) Lead generation
Having your blog appear on the first page of Google's results gives your organization credibility in the eyes of your potential customers.Having high quality content on your blog goes further to reinforce the value your organization can provide and reduces the need to "hard sell".



Examples of corporate blog :
Jonathan' s Blog - The blog of Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems. Although John is the CEO of a USD $15billion company, his blog just like a regular guy.

The Official Google Blog - The Google blog gives you a peek into the internet giant's products, technology and culture.


Seth's Blog - Best-selling author Seth Godin's blog is another example of a blog employing a thought leadership strategy and reinforces Seth's reputation as a writer, speaker and consultant.

In summary, corporate blogs are a new, powerful marketing communications tool for any organization.Companies that develop a good corporate blogging strategy are able to capture the goodwill of their community.

Mobile Payment Systems in Malaysia: Its Potentials and Consumers' Adoption Strategies

Ever since year 2001, Malaysians have been able to experience and enjoy a much more secure and convenient way of conducting mobile commerce. TeleMoney for instance was Malaysia's first mobile payment service via multi-channel access for Internet and wireless transcations.

Neowave, on the other hand, the first Malaysian company to be awarded with WorldPayAccredited Storebuilder, was also the first to integrate Mobile Money Weblink as a Payment option on their online storefont software. Other companies in Malaysia who have joined these two companies in providing such mobile payment systems include the following Cordoda Corporation, Nanyang Online, Xchange.com.my, HP Mobile e-services Bazaar and Celcom.

These are among some of the payment systems that are used:

But what are these mobile payment systems?

Mobile payment is one of the latest alternative payment method that is making waves in Asia and Europe, including Malaysia. Basically, consumers can use their mobile phones to pay for a wide range of services and goods, instead of using cash, such as :

a) Music, videos, ringtones, online game subscription or items, wallpapers and other digital goods

b) Books, magazines, tickets and other hard goods

Among the primary models for mobile payments include:

a. Premium SMS based transactional payments

Under this model, consumers send a payment request via an SMS text message to a shortcode to purchase goods such as music, ringtones, wallpaper, mobile games or to conduct transactions such as reloading or transferring credit for prepaid lines. A premium charge is then applied to their phone bill. When the merchant involved is informed of the payment success, the paid for goods will be released.

However, these goods are most frequently digital with the merchant replying using a MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). As a trusted delivery address has typically not been given to these goods. A MMS can also deliver barcodes which can then be scanned for confirmation of payment by a merchant which can be used as an electronic ticket for access to cinemas and events or collect hard goods. The practice of delivering barcode through MMS is still however not popular in Malaysia.

This method of payment us now beginning to be taken over by bother mobile payment systems such as mobile web payments (WAP) and Direct Mobile Billing for several reasons:

1. Poor reliability - Transactional payments can easily fail as messages get lost
2. Slow speed - Sending messages can be slow and it can take hours for a merchant to get receipt of payment. Consumers do not want to be kept waiting more than a few seconds.
3. High cost - There are many high costs associated with this method of payment. The cost of setting up shortcodes and paying for the delivery of media via MMS and the resulting customer support costs to account for the number of messages that get lost or are delayed.
4. Low payout rates - Operators also see high costs in running and supporting transactional payments which results in payout rates to the merchant being as low as 30%.
5. Low follow-on sales - Once the payment message has been sent and the goods received there is little else the consumer can do. It is difficult for them to remember where something was purchased or how to buy it again. This also makes it difficult to tell a friend.

b. Direct Mobile Billing

Consumers use this system during checkout at an e-commerce site, such as an online gaming site to make a payment. Consumers?mobile accounts are charged for the purchases after the PIN and One-Time-Password is authenticated. This is a an alternative payment method that bypasses banks and credit card companies all together, as it does not require any use of credit or debit cards or pre-registration at any online payment solution.

This method is very popular in Asia, as it provides the following benefits:

1. Security - Two-factor authentication and risk management engine prevents fraud.
2. Convenience - No pre-registration and no new mobile software is required.
3. Easy - It's just another option during a checkout process.
4. Fast - Most transactions are completed in less than 10 seconds.
5. Proven - 70% of all digital content purchased online in some parts of Asia uses Direct Mobile Billing method.
   

c. Mobile Web Payments

WAP is where consumers download and install web pages or additional applications onto their mobile phones to make payments. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is used as the underlying technology.

These are amone the benefits of mobile web payments:

1. Follow-on sales where the mobile web payment can lead back to a store or to other goods the consumer may like. These pages have a URL and can be bookmarked making it easy to re-visit or share with friends.
2. High customer satisfaction from quick and predictable payments
3. Ease of use from a familiar set of online payment pages Consumers in Malaysia are coping with these changes well, with the help of the followings:

• Low transaction and maintenance costs.
  
• Low start-up or sign up feess.
  
• No minimum monthly transactions, No Rental Fees.
  
• No merchants account required.
  
• Transactions can be done to anyone, anywhere & anytime.
  
• Flexible methods to Request for Payment: Fixed Line IVR, SMS, WebLink, Mobile Money website.
• Good audit trail and secure ticketing

Reference links:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Payment
   
2. www.neowave.com.my/0doc/MobileMoneyPaymentSystem.pdf
   
3. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,39001884,00.htm
   

Credit Card Debt : Causes & Prevention

Nowadays it seem that credit card are almost a necessity, rather than a luxury, which has caused many people to have a huge problem with credit card problem.A credit card is exactly what the name implies.It is a card with which you are able to use by borrowing on credit.Each time you use your credit card, you are increasing your credit card debt.

Many people now have more than 1 credit card with a balance and you may be 1 of those people.

If you are 1 of the millions of people want to get out of credit card debt, then you first need to understand what caused the credit card debt problem to begin with.

What are the causes of the credit card debt ?

1. Less Income, More Expenses
Too often we delay bringing expenses in line with a reduction in income for a best of good reasons and let the debt fill the gap.The family is forced to use their credit card for groceries, utilities, house or car loan, etc.
2. Poor Money Management
Poor Money Management is one of the best reason why so many families accumulate lots of debt. Most of the time people are not having a monthly spending plan and not keeping track of their monthly bills.It makes them unaware of where their money is going.They maybe spending hundreds of dollars unnecessarily each month and end up having to charge their necessary purchases by using credit card where it leads to credit card debt.
3. Hoping to win the lottery
Most people hope to win the lottery but the chances of that happening are 0%. They will spend tomorrow's saved money today just because they believe that they will striking a lottery after buying TOTO or Magnum 's numbers.But usually these will not happen since all of us do not the ability or super power of knowing what will happen tomorrow.
4. Big Medical Expenses
The cost of obtaining cures and medicine is increasing every year in most of the country.Nowadays, almost all the hospitals, clinics or specialist center are accept the credit cards.While you need treatment,but you do not have the cash.So what you can do? Swiping your credit card is one of the fastest ways to pay for it.
5. No Money Communication Skills
Many people find out that their spouses have racked up thousands of dollars in credit card debt and they had no idea that the accounts even existed. This is the problem due of lacking the money communication skills between the family members.Therefore, it is important to communicate with your spouse and children about finances.Family that not keep the lines of communication open and discuss financial goals and spending styles will always facing the credit card debt problem.





What are the ways to prevent credit card debt ?
1. Budget, Budget, Budget
The first thing to do when considering your debt is to make a budget.It is important to have plan for your money so that you will know exactly where all of your funds are going.A clear budget that includes all of your monthly bills, food, entertainment and miscellaneous items will prevent you from spending thoughtlessly and buying on impulse.
2. Save for the Future
Save for a rainy day by having a saving plan.This is the way to help you prevent yourself from getting into debt. You can direct a portion of your paycheck directly into your saving account.You should aim to save enough money to be able to pay your bills in the future time in case you lose your job or have an accident.
3. Pay Off Highest Interest Card First
By paying as much as possible on the highest interest card and at least the minimum monthly payment on the remaining cards, you limit your exposure to expensive interest payment that do nothing to lower your principle balance.After paying off the highest interest rate credit card, apply that payment to the card with next highest rate. Continue in this manner until all of the cards have been paid off.
4. Inquire about Debt Help
You can try to contact a debt settlement companies and see if you qualify to significantly reduce your monthly payment and total debt. Many companies offers a free, no obligation consultation to review your options like this website : http://www.eliminate-credit-card-debt-now.com/Debt_Consolidator.htm
5. Maintain Insurance Coverage
Health and home insurance are absolute musts in order to avoid bankruptcy.Unexpected medical bills, flood damage and fire damage can lead to ruin if you aren't properly covered.



As a conclusion, by knowing the causes of credit card debt and the ways to cope with the burden of paying back the debt, people can get on the path towards a debt free life ! For help in creating a plan to get rid of debt, go to www.rapidlyreducedebt.com.

THE APPLICATION OF PRE PAID CASH CARD FOR CONSUMERS

PRE PAID GIFT CARD







PRE PAID CASH CARD

A prepaid card looks like a credit or debit card, and gives users the ability to purchase products and services with a card but it has a crucial difference. That is we can only spend the balance that has been preloaded onto the card and will no has any risk of running into debt as the card itself has no credit or overdraft facility. Example of pre paid cash card is pre paid gift and pre paid mobile phone sim card and so on.

HOW IT WORKS?

The pre paid cash card work exactly like debit or credit card . What we need to do is hand over the card to the cashier , after that we will require to enter the PIN number (supplied with the card) on an electronic keypad or to sign a payment slip so your signature can be matched with that on the back of the card (if there is no Chip on the card). As long as we have enough balance , the transaction is complete and the amount we spend will be taken from our card immediately. Besides normal transactions, pre paid cash card also can be used in online purchasing.

To reload the card we can go to the post office, pay zone, through bank transfer or even using credit card . It is very convenient to the consumers as it can be use and reload anywhere , anytime.

Pre paid cash card can use to buy groceries and petrol, top up mobile phone, use in internet shopping, pay bills and even withdraw cash from an ATM.

ADVANTAGES

There are numerous benefits to the prepaid card. These include:

Availability - There are no credit checks, which means you can get a card without worrying about your credit history. All prepaid card providers will carry out an Identity check to confirm you are who you say you are.

Control - prepaid cards are an ideal way to budget for yourself or help to manage your children's spending. Like a credit card you get a full breakdown of spending on the card so you can see what has been purchased, who from and when.

No debt risk - With a prepaid card there is no chance of spending too much as you are limited to the amount you put on your card.

The card for travel - As well as being able to top up the card, depending on the specific provider, you will be able to use it at ATMs worldwide. Many providers now offer dollar and euro cards and offer a better exchange rate on their travel cards than what is commonly available from bureau de change.

DISADVANTAGES

Consumers might need to pay for some fees when using them . For example, card application fee, monthly services charge, card replacement fee , card renewal and so on. Besides that, it is not suitable for the consumers who do not have enough money and credit card is more suitable for them as they can repay it later.

LINKS:

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/prepaidcards/prepaid-cards-guide3.asp

www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/publications/other/Prepaid/PDFs/Prepaid-eng.pdf

Electronic Currency

Electronic/digital currency has many names, which include electronic/digital money, electronic/digital cash. All of them refer to the same thing, which is money exchanged electronically through computer networks, the internet and many similar electronic payment systems, for example the electronic funds transfer (EFT) system.

One of my best friends used to work in Hong Kong, and when he told me about life over there, he mentioned a stored-value card that he used to make almost all payments that he had to make while he was there.

This stored-value card, called the Octopus card, is an example of the successful implementation of the e-currency payment system in Hong Kong. It is a rechargeable smart card where users must pay a refundable deposit upon obtaining one. The Octopus card can be used to pay the fares for almost all the public transport in Hong Kong, to make payments at convenience stores, shopping complexes, restaurants, parking fee and even on vending machines.

There are many different types of Octopus card for different types of citizens. For example, elderly citizens (60 years old and above) can purchase the green Octopus card, which when used at any card reader, will automatically deduct any available discounts.

Similarly, in the US, the Eagle Cash or EZPay system of stored-value cards is used at US military bases domestically and overseas. Soldiers’ wages are credited into these cards, and they can use these cards to pay for goods and services in the military bases.

In Malaysia, the concept of e-currency is growing, as can be seen from electronic payment systems such as TouchNGo which uses stored-value cards to allow users to pay for tolls, RapidKL buses and LRT tickets, and also parking fees.

The proliferation of e-currency is brought about by its enormous benefits. For individuals, e-currency provides increased security because there is no longer the need to carry cash and be exposed to physical theft. Organizations, on the other hand, can greatly reduces the labour hours needed for non-essential tasks like counting and safeguarding physical cash, as well as reducing transaction time.

However, just like everything else, e-currency has its disadvantages too, as it opens another window for fraud when hackers are able to break through the e-payment system's security. E-currency also makes it difficult to trace who made the payments.

Since the benefits of electronic currency far outweigh its costs, it looks like e-currency is here to stay. Who knows, maybe someday we will all live in a cashless world where notes and coins are only available on display in banks or muziums for our children to gape at. ^_^.

Bank customers' details are sold on ebay!!

Lost data: Bank details and personal information were sold on a computer on eBay

Computer hard discs containing 1 million sets of bank details was bought from ebay for just $35! This really a shock for the public because they afraid will become victims of fraud.In this incident information including the bank account numbers, phone numbers, mothers' maiden names and signatures of 1 million customers of American Express, NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland were reportedly found on the computer.

HOW IT CAN HAPPEN?
Initially the computer had belonged to data processing company Mail Source, part of Graphic Data, a firm that holds financial information for organisations which was originally used at the firm's archive centre in Shoeburyness, Essex and the machine had been removed from the company's secure storage facility in Essex and sold on the internet auction site. Accidentally, Andrew Chapman, an IT manager from Oxford, bought the computer and found the information on the computer's hard drive.

WHAT IS THE CONSEQUENCES?
This incident put the public into trouma. As their personnal information such as names, addresses, sort codes and account numbers, credit card numbers and security data such as mothers' maiden names are expose to others. It makes public lose confindent and it seems that there is a serious leakage in securing these information.

WHAT STEPS ARE TAKEN BY THOSE PARTIES?
According to the spokesman for Mail Source, which owns Graphic Data, put the situation down to an 'honest mistake'. Now,they already found out employee who took the server and sold it, but they believe that it was an honest mistake and was not intentionally act to sell it without the server being cleared.'They also stress that this is an isolated incident and are investigating how the server was removed and sold.'This is a very unfortunate incident and they are taking measures to ensure it will never happen again.'

Besides that, RBS, NatWest and American Express are analysed the data and will contact customers once they have analysed the data at risk.

Futher, The Information Commissioner's Office is investigating an apparent breach of the Data Protection Act.
A spokesman said: 'A data breach is very serious. Our investigation will look at the circumstances of how this happened, and we will be seeking an urgent explanation from Graphic Data to establish what has gone wrong and the steps that are being taken to prevent a similar incident occurring".

MY OPINION
I think that this is an honest mistake that happen unintentionally. However in my opinion in this 21st century , it is hard for us to delete emails or documents as it is usually very easy to retrieve them and in most circumstances we can even buy a software on the internet for £25 that will retrieve almost anything, unless the computer has been totally wiped or the hard drive is destroyed. So i hope that those parties will not repeat this kind of mistake again.


LINKS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1049121/Government-probe-launched-details-million-bank-customers-sold-eBay.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7581540.stm

http://www.finextra.com/fullstory.asp?id=18894

The Threat of Online Security: How Safe Is Our Data?

In our current information age, the issue of the publics concern over the issue of online security being threaten is ever increasing, as they are constantly being invaded spam, cookies, viruses, worms and more. Security is defined as the protection of data against accidental or intentional disclosure to unauthorized persons, or unauthorized modifications or destruction. Privacy refers to the rights of individuals and organizations to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is to be transmitted to others (Grandinetti, 1996; Martin,).

In the recent years where more and more transactions and work are being done, published and sent online, the public is becoming more concerned over how their data is going to be used by the government, and more recently, businesses. This has thus led to the passing of various privacy protection laws.

Escalating further the publics' concern over their online security and privacy are the following news stories:-

1. The reporter who was able to purchase a list containing the names, addresses, ages and telephone numbers of young children, while using the assumed name of a notorious convicted murderer.
   
2. The Internet user in Oregon who paid $222 for a copy of the state Department of Motor Vehicles list of names and license plates and put it on the Internet, along with software for searching it.
   
3. The US News & World Report subscriber who sued the publisher for renting his name, address and subscription preference, accusing him of misappropriation.
   

The following have been provided as the top 12 ways to protect the users privacy online (EFF, 1999):

1. Do not reveal personal information inadvertently.
2. Turn on cookie notices in your Web browser.
3. Keep a `clean e-mail address.
4. Do not reveal personal details to strangers or just-met-friends.
5. Realize you may be monitored at work, avoid sending highly personal e-mail to mailing lists, and keep sensitive files on your home computer.
6. Do not reply to spammers, for anything.
7. Be conscious of Web security.
8. Be conscious of home computer security.
9. Examine privacy policies and seals.
10. Remember that you decide what information about yourself to reveal, when, why, and to whom.
11. Use encryption.
12. Keep sensitive files on your home computer

At the end of the day, in my opinion, there is a very big lack of public confidence towards the online security today, which poses a very huge impediment to full scale electronic commerce. This issue of lack of confidence, i believe, is not only about security of value, but more so about trust in the information society.

Therefore to overcome this barrier, very party including the government, vendors and organizations should work hand-in-hand to take serious measures in increasing the level of online security of the public. Only through this, can the publics?trust and faith towards online security increase.

Although many are aware that the threat on online security will always be around, we should nevertheless try to reduce and overcome this information technology weaknesses for the good of the public.

Reference links:

1. http://hsbcprivatebank.com/services/online-security-five-golden-rules.html
   
2. http://www.maybank2u.com.my/online_security_watch/five_tips.shtml
   
3. www.pafis.shh.fi/~jirrat01/thesis/udo.pdf
   
4. http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SNS/mobile_security/documents/mobile_agents/pp-agentSecurityFIN.pdf
   
5. http://nob.cs.ucdavis.edu/history/CD/ande72a.pdf

"Fishing" for Personal Information

Every time I encountered this window while surfing online, I wondered - for perhaps one millisecond - what on earth 'phishing' is. But I would close the window impatiently without ever finding out what it was trying to warn me about.

This week, I finally find out, that phishing is actually fishing! The only difference is that phishing is fishing for an online user's personal information. I know now that the window meant well, by warning me against thieves going after my personal details.

How is this done? Phishing is usually done via emails, sent by scammers to gullible online users of various famous, legitimate website like eBay. These emails falsely claim to be from these websites, and will direct the users to a site that looks like the real one. Then, the users are asked to update personal information like account numbers, credit card numbers and passwords. Through this, the scammers will be able to 'fish' for the information they need for an identity theft.

An example of phishing is that of an imitation of PayPal. This phishing attempt could be detected from the spelling mistakes apparent in the email and also the generic greeting "Dear Accountholder", when a legitimate PayPal email would address the user with his or her real name.

Another example of a phishing incident happened to eBay users, where they received an email requesting a response to an allegedly uncompleted transaction. As soon as the user clicks on the "respond now" button, users were directed to an exact clone of eBay where their personal information was stolen.

So how do we go about preventing phishing from occurring? There are many ways, and the easiest method is to simply report suspicious emails by calling the customer service number of the alleged sender. Also, ensure that we do transactions only with legitimate, trusted websites.

Next, we can have several email address for different functions, for example, one for our online bank accounts, one for friends and family, and one for all the miscellaneous websites. This way, a phishing scam has less chance of entering our inbox, and we'll know which emails are from which sender.

Also, it is always advisable to install the now widely available security software packages and personal firewalls to ensure that there is proper encryption and prevention against other malicious codes that steals personal information from users of the World Wide Web.

In conclusion, phishing is a widespread 21st century crime, and it is up to all the online users whether to let their guards down, or to beat down these "phishermen" by taking immediate steps to secure their personal information online.

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Reference links:

• http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/phishing.htm
• http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Prevent-Phishing-Scams&id=1147318
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing
• http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/phishing.html
  

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