InfoSecurity

October 27, 2006
Now shopping online will be a safe Bet

Runa Mukherjee

NEW DELHI -- Online shopping, once a perilous story of breaches and untimely deliveries and low quality products has now reached a whole new dimension. While the University of Massachusetts' Amherst computer scientist Kevin Fu still suggests that consumers who shop online may be risking their privacy with every purchase due to factors like the widespread use of cookies and quick and easy transactions.

According to Fu in his report in PhysOrg, cookies, that are small chunks of information a Web server sends to a browser to identify the user are stored on the browser computer's hard drive. They are also employed to authenticate users who are shopping online.

The varied items that come under the same roof of online shopping

Cookies work by replaying the same information. It is through the cookie that a site remembers a user, and allows them to skip a logging in again and again. So someone who has accessed a series of cookies on a hard drive can look for a pattern and then backtrack to come up with the algorithm that generated them, claims Fu. He also believes that every Web site has authenticates users in its own special way, and there are no set standards for security of Websites.

The best log-in methods don't employ cookies, but use what's known as client certificates in SSL or 'secure socket layer'. The user authenticates who they are by stamping the wax with their seal. These systems are often used at universities, allowing students to access grades online, for example.

But client certificates are cumbersome, says Fu, and retailers want to offer quick, easy shopping. Cookies get the maximum sales in the shortest time, and if no one is attacking, they work just fine. There are steps that companies can take to prevent attackers from breaking their authentication schemes, like not allowing guessable passwords, only using temporary cookies that expire when the user exits the browser etc. A cryptographic system with a public protocol that can be reviewed for flaws will be more secure than a system with a private one.

However, a lot of advantages to online shopping are being seen lately by several industry experts and not without rteason. A brief summarisation of todays shopping sites and the security they promise is as good as their given word. ebay, Shopzilla, NexTag, Yahoo Shopping etc are doing successfully in this arena with the best deals and by offering genuine security to the customers.

Advantages

The first and foremost benefit is that one can gain more information about the company and its products. One can even browse through online catalogues without even moving outdoors. In the US, more than half of the web purchases have been done from offices and even schools. That says a lot about how much relaibility has been put on this technology lately.

In addition, a customer can find a wider variety of a goods displayed on a company website compared to the amount of goods that the company can fit or even cost effectively print in a catalogue. The Internet offers variety that is simply impossible to put up in traditional stores.

Online shopping is also not limited by global time differences and is therefore very convenient, when compared to shops that adhere to time limits. Online shopping also allows buyers the benefit of customising their products, and benefit from cheaper prices. As buyers purchase from the supplier directly, it removes the hurdles of retailers and distributors who add to the product cost. It has been found that prices are almost 6 to 16 percent lesser than the prices off line. Also, a greater number of online retailers now use technology which allows customers to monitor the goods they have ordered with greater efficiency. Tone can use a company online Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking service to check on the location of the specific goods via the company online store.

eBay India (formerly known as Baazee.com) is India’s leading online marketplace. It is a unique and exciting marketplace with the largest person-to-person trading community in the country that claims the best consumer experience in an environment driven by high performance, constant innovation, teamwork and entrepreneurial opportunity. It is a 100 percent subsidiary of eBay, the World’s Online Marketplace. It is a trading platform offering auctions, fixed price and classifieds modes of person-to-person trading.At the end of Q2 of 2006, eBay hosted approximately 541,000 stores worldwide, with approximately 255,000 stores hosted on the US site and 286,000 stores hosted on eBay’s international sites with approximately 1.3 million sellers around the world using eBay as a primary or secondary source of income according to ACNielsen International Research of June 2006.

Says Deepa Thomas, manager, Corporate Communications, eBay India, “In India, eCommerce is currently at a very nascent stage, but with time we hope to see a tremendous impetus to growth. As per the IAMAI Power Shopper report, the sizing the e-commerce market has been put at Rs.1180 crore in 2005-06. This is estimated to explode to Rs. 2300 crore by 2006-07. We are very bullish on ecommerce taking off in India and believe the industry is well poised to take off very soon.”

“The consumer attitudes towards the Internet and online shopping have become increasingly positive over the years. As more and more Indians get access to Internet, understand the medium and are comfortable with ecommerce, there is increased awareness and trust in shopping online,” she said.

Hazards: Fast dwindling

“However there are some common misconceptions about online shopping like fear of misuse of credit cards and non-delivery of items purchased which needs to be addressed. That said, most online transactions on a reputed and secure site are as safe and secure as offline transactions,” reminds Thomas. Here are a few tips to be kept in mind while you are on an online shopping spree:

Get to know your Seller

• View the sellers other items to assess the overall quality and type
• Ask the seller a question to learn more about them and the item.
• Ask questions about the quality and condition of the item, shipping costs and accepted methods of payment.
• Review members’ feedback about your seller.
• Investigate whether the seller has successfully sold similar items

Payment

• Be wary of sellers who only accept one form of payment, especially when the seller exclusively requests bank cheques, online bank transfers or cash.
• Consider paying with a credit card, as most offer 100 per cent consumer protection
• Never send cash and be cautious when paying with cash equivalents such as bank deposits. Instead opt for Cash on Delivery (COD)

“PaisaPay is a secure online payment gateway on eBay India. It lets buyers make payments online and the seller receives the same in his bank account, in a secure, convenient and cost-effective manner. PaisaPay supports credit card payments and online bank transfers. Buyers can make instant payment for their online purchases. Sellers can accept online payments from anyone with a credit card or an online bank account,” explained Thomas.

Know what you are buying

• Research your desired item and its fair market price both off and online.
• Read the item description and the seller's terms and conditions carefully, including payment options, shipping costs and return policies.
• Closely examine photographs to assess an item's condition.
• Ask the seller specific questions about their selling policies and the quality and condition of an item - especially if a description or photo is not clear, and wait for satisfactory reply before bidding or buying.

Pay Smart

• Select a seller that offers a payment method you are comfortable with.
• Credit cards with chargeback facilities add security. Chargeback facilities allow customers to receive a refund in the event of a fraudulent transaction or if they do not receive the service they paid for.
• It is important to check with your credit card provider whether a charge back facility is available for your card and if so the level of protection available.
• Question a seller who will only accept demand drafts or instant cash transfers as these may be harder to trace.

Protect online accounts

• Never chose an obvious word for your password such as your name , your family members names or birth dates .
• If you receive a request to update your personal information and you are not comfortable about the source of the e mail, do not clicks on links in the email , simply open a new browser and use the site map to navigate to the site
• Exercise caution if an e mail requests personal information such as credit card details or passwords. Never share your PIN number.
• Regularly check your account and preferences to make sure there is no un-authorised activity.

What to do if something goes wrong

Nowadays, its not just the computer enthusiast who shops online. Ecommerce accounts for approximately 2 percent of all retail purchases. Airline tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related purchases account for the biggest share of spending online.

Shopping online has its share of problems. It is a fact that many people spend a lot more money when shopping online than they would otherwise spend at a store. Other problems, such as fraud, identity theft, resolution of difficulties arising with billing or unsatisfactory products, and other customer service issues also present unique problems.

According to eBay, it is very rare that something goes wrong with a transaction, but if it does, one must first contact one's trading partner. Most buyers and sellers are honest and reliable, and often the cause is a simple misunderstanding or lack of communication. Requesting the seller's contact information and calling should be sufficient to get it corrected.

“Remember that your credit card provider or shipping insurance can help to recover funds lost in a transaction. Make sure you understand the policies of the payment provider you are using and the time frame in which you can file a claim,” cautions Thomas.

Conclusion:

The world of Internet will still take considerable time to be totally secure, that is, if possible. Some loopholes do remain. But as time is witnessing newer and advanced technology like never before, people are openikng up to bolder ways to purchase consumer products. While security is an issue that can never be cent percent assured, consumers are smartening up to online shopping and the hazards are reducing with Web sites becoming more aware of their social responsibility of keeping personal information of its customers secure. As long as you deal with a reputable company and learn how to recognise a secure web page when you enter your personal information and investigate privacy and return policies, you are safe.

In this way, trust will build up on online shopping sites and people will accept newer and better technology with greater ease.