f certificates and maintaining a server making the information available to electronic commerce participants in order to verify identity requires a trusted third party or Certificate Authority (CA). Several CA’s, including GTE, Veri Sign Inc., and Northern Telecom, currently have certification schemes on the market (IMPROVED VPN 7). However, a problem with certification remains that there is no one agency universally recognized as a CA and no legal mechanism to handle the liability issue involved (IMPROVED VPN 7). One of the main security flaws of the Internet is an inherent technological flaw caused by decades of development with little attention to security issues. As security holes are uncovered, software manufactures modify their products using “patches” (DEBORAH AND G.T. 143). “ Through such piecemeal modifications, Internet protocols tend towards higher security (DEBORAH AND G.T. 143)”. However, only systematic change of protocols will thoroughly address security concerns. Short of introduction of totally new Internet protocols, which is impractical, development of security-enhanced versions compatible with current protocols offers promise. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, developed by Netscape Communications, works at the TCP/IP level and is largely invisible to the user. Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol (S-HTTP) works at a higher level and requires more user interaction. Many other secure protocols and channels are in the works, including PCT by Microsoft and IKP by IBM (DALE 4). Business Security Strategies A company’s security strategy for electronic commerce must be a corporate-wide strategy for all Internet and computer use. A security hole at any level could compromise the highest degree of security at another level. The main areas of Internet security concerns are: The Internet connection. The cornerstone of security here is the firewall. Connections with Internet pr...
