Chapter 11 Key Concepts

CHAPTER 11

What you should know:
-B2C vs. B2C (this chapter focuses on B2C)
-Top 4 payment methods of all commerce
-Cash
-Cheque
-Debit Card
-Credit Card
-Online payments
-95% of ecommerce transactions in the US are with credit cards
-Scrip (fake money, like Canadian Tire $ or Air Miles, that cannot be exchanged for cash, but can be used to purchase merchandise on the Internet) “Flooz” and “Beenz”.
-Consumer security
-Privacy & security
-Independence (whatever form of payment I have, I should be able to use w/ that merchant)
-Portability
-Convenience (must be simple to use)
-Phishing (when a Bank or other trusted authority is giving you money, and a third party sends you a login page that is not actually yours, in order to get your login info)
-Payment cards (all plastic; debit or credit, charge cards, etc.)
-Credit cards (open-loop processing)
-Charge cards (closed-loop processing) must be paid at the end of the month. Safer than open-loop, as there are fewer parties involved – you deal directly with Amex, not the bank
-Single-use credit cards
Advantages of using plastic
-Consumer protection from fraud
-World-wide acceptance (for credit cards mostly)
-Currency conversion (foreign exchange transactions)
-Merchant protection (authorization/verification) – the vendor knows he is going to get paid
Disadvantages
-associated fees for transactions or monthly fees for the merchant
-minimum charge of $0.30 per transaction or 1-2% of the value of the transaction
-annual fees for the consumer
-Payment processing
-EMV standard (like EDI system)
-30 day shipping requirement (if your card is billed, they must ship the product within 30 days)
-merchant accounts required to accept credit cards
-general payment service providers- icVerify software- runs credit card numbers to verify that they are legit
-online payment service providers (such as Internet Secure, PayPal, etc.) that process online payments for the vendor
-Electronic Cash
Advantages
-works well for micro-payments and small-payments
-the exchange of digital information, not the bank account information
-readily exchange for cash, unlike Scrip
-Useful for those who cannot get credit cards (due to bad credit, or the country they reside in)
-no need for authorizations, like credit cards
-Independence: unrelated to any proprietary network or storage device
-Portability: freely transferable btw/ two parties (across borders)
-Convenience: does not require any special software/hardware
Disadvantages
-Not standardized or universally accepted
-no audit trail, due to independence and privacy
-potential for double spending and money laundering
-susceptible to forgery
Online systems
-PayPal, WorldPay, Authorize.net, etc.
-Electronic Wallets
-smart cards: websites where you store all your personal information, such as medical, passport, car servicing, debit and credit information
-server-side wallets: used to auto-fill fields. Information is with only one server
-client-side: all information is stored in your own computer, not someone else’s.

Chapter 10 Key Concepts

Computer security

logical security protection of assets from unauthorized access, use, alterations, or destruction. Physical security includes tangible protection devices, such as alarms, guards, fire proof doors, etc.

Managing Risk
Countermeasure - procedure either physical or logical that recognizes, reduces, or eliminates a threat.
Contain and control
Prevent Check Figure 10-1 pg 441
Ignore
Insurance or backup plan
Threats include - eavesdropper is a person or device that can listen in on and copy internet transmission. Hackers create these devices.

Computer security is split between 3 categories:
Secrecy - protecting against unauthorized data disclosure and ensuring the authenticity of data source
Integrity - preventing unauthorized data modification
Necessity - preventing data delays or denials (removal)
Man in the middle exploit - e mail message is intercepted and its contents are changed before forwarded

Security Policy is a written statement describing which assets to protect and why they are being protected, who is responsible for that protection, and which behaviours are acceptable and which are not.
First step - determine which assets to protect from which threats. Eg credit cards should be protected from eaves droppers.
Next - organization determines what resources are available to protect the assets identified.
Finally - organization commits resources to building or buying software, hardware, and physical barriers that implement the security policy.

Security policy covers many security centres
Authentication - who is tring to access the e commerce site
Access control - who is allowed to log on to and access site
Secrecy - who is permitted to view selected info
Data integrity - who is allowed to change data
Audit - who or what causes specific events to occur




Security for Client Computers

Cookies
Stateless connection makes each transmission of info is independent or no continuous connection such as shopping carts and payment processing
Session cookies - web client ends connection (shopping cart)
Persistent cookies - remain on computer indefinitely (login information recognition)
First party cookies are pleaced on client computer by web server site
Third party cookies - originates on a web site other than the site being visited

Web bug is a tiny graphic that a third party web site places on another web page

Active Content programs that are embedded transparently in web pages and that cause action to occur such as displaying movie graphics, downloads, and audio
-Programs that are active content are Trojan horses and zombies

Java applets is active content developed by sun Microsystems
-Java sandbox protects computer because java scripts are embedded onto client’s computer where security violations can occur.

Java Script is a scripting language developed by Netscape to enable web page designers
to build active content. Can be used to attack by executing code that destroys the client’s hard disk, discloses emails stored, or sends sensitive info. Cannot attack unless opened.

Active X controls contain programs and properties that web designers place on web pages to perform particular tasks.

Digital Certificates is an attachment to an email message or a program embedded in a web page that verifies sender or Web site. “signed” message code.
Stegonography is process of hiding information within another piece of information.

Communication Channel Security

Sniffer programs record information that passes through a computer
Backdoors are holes in the software either accidentally left open of intentionally.

Integrity threats include active wire tapping when an unauthorized party can alter a message stream of information. Cybervadalism which is defacing existing web pages. Phishing expeditions capture confidential customer information.

Hash coding, Asymmetric Encryption, Symmectic ecryption see pg 468

Chapter 9 Key Concepts

Web Hosting Alternatives
-Self-hosting (when large companies run servers in-house)
- Commerce Service Providers (CSPs)/Managed Service Providers (MSPs)/Application Service Providers (ASPs): (firms that offer Web server management, and rent application software, etc.) A.k.a. ISPs.
-Shared hosting (the client’s web site is on a server that hosts other Web sites simultaneously and is operated by the service provider at its location)
-Dedicated hosting (the service provider makes a Web server available to the client, but the client does not share the server with other clients of the service provider)
-Co-allocation (the service provider rents a physical space to the client to install its own server hardware. Client also maintains the server. The server provides the reliable Internet connection)

Basic Functions of E-commerce Software
Catalogue display
-organizes and lists the goods and services to be sold
-a static catalogue: simple list written in HTML. Code must be edited every time a change is needed
-a dynamic catalogue: stores info on the items in a database
Shopping cart capabilities
-used instead of filling out online forms
-avoids double sending
-checkout button as a confirmation
Transaction processing
-when the virtual shopper checks out
-software performs the necessary calculations
-most complex part of the sale

Advanced Functions of E-commerce Software
Middleware: software that handles connections between e-commerce software and accounting systems.
-Interoperability: making a company’s information systems work together
Enterprise Application Integration and Databases: Takes requests messages received by the web server and runs application programs that perform some kind of actions based on the contents of the requests messages
-Business logic: the actions that application server software performs are determined by the rules used in the business.
-the linking of these scattered applications is called Enterprise Application Integration
-Database manager: software that stores information in a highly structured way that makes it easy for the software to retrieve the information stored in the database.
-Distributed information systems: information systems that store the same data in many different physical locations
Web services: Combination of software tools that let application software in one organization communicate with other applications over a network by using a specific set of standard protocols
Integration with enterprise resource planning: Business systems that integrate all facets of a business including accounting logistics, manufacturing marketing planning and project management and treasury functions
Customer relationship management: Must obtain data from operations software that conducts activities such as sales automation, customer service centre operations, and marketing campaigns.
-Supply chain software (SCM), content management software, knowledge management software (KM):
Content management system: Shares information between employees, customers, suppliers, and partners. Helps companies control the large amounts of text, graphics, and media files

Chapter 8 Key Concepts

Web Server Basics
3 Elements of a Web Server:
-Hardware (computers and related components)
-Operating system software
-Web server software

Types of Web Sites:
-Development sites (simple sites that companies use to evaluate different Web designs)
-Intranets (corporate in-house networks)
-Extranets (Intranets that allow certain authorizes parties outside the organization, such as suppliers or partners, to access certain parts of their information systems)
-Transaction-processing sites (commerce sites, such as B2B and B2C)
-Content-delivery sites (sites that deliver content, such as news and other digital information)

Web Clients and Web Servers
-Web Client: when a person uses their Internet connection to become part of the Web, by requesting services such as database access, information retrieval, etc.
-Web Server: the computers that perform these requests, which often have more memory and larger, faster disk drives.
-Dynamic Content: non-static information constructed in response to a Web Client’s request.
-server-side scripting: programs running on the Web server create the Web pages before sending them back to the requesting Web clients as part of response messages.
-dynamic page generation technologies include JavaServer Pages (JSP) and Active Server Pages (ASP).
-Web browser software: includes Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.

Various meanings of “Server”
-any computer used to provide or serve files or make programs available to other computers connected through a network such as a LAN or WAN.

Web Client/Server Communication
-is exchanged using HTTP between the Client (making the request) and the Server (fulfilling the request)

Two-Tier Client/Server Architecture
-the basic Web client/server model is a Two-Tier model, because there is only one client and one server.
-the Web client sends a request message, and receives a response message in return.

Three-Tier and N-Tier Client/Server Architectures
-extends two-tier to include more complex processing such as retrieving files from a database to generate a dynamic web page. N-tier architectures have more than three tiers.

Electronic Mail
Benefits
-one of the first Internet Applications
-documents, pictures, movies, worksheets, etc can be sent along with the message as attachments
-simple and fast
Drawbacks
-time spent answering emails
-computer viruses
-Spam (unsolicited commercial email)
-Black-list filtering: blocks addresses that are known spammers
-White-list filtering: allows messages from known contacts

Web site and internet utility programs
Finger and Ping Utilities
Tracert and Other Route-Tracing programs
Telnet and FTP Utilities
Indexing and Searching Utility Programs
Data Analysis Software
Link-Checking Utilities
Remote Server Administration

Web Server Hardware
Server Computers
Web Server Performance Evaluation
Web Server Architecture

Chapter 12 Key Concepts

Planning Ecommerce Initiatives:
Identifying Objectives
-Examples of objectives include: increasing sales in existing markets, opening new markets, serving existing customers better, identifying new vendors, coordinating more efficiently with existing vendors, or recruiting new employees more effectively.

Linking Objectives to Business Strategies
-Downstream Strategies: improve the value that the business provides to its customers
-Upstream Strategies: focus on reducing costs or generating value by working closely with suppliers, etc,
-other activities/initiatives include: building brands, enhancing existing marketing programs, selling products and services, selling advertising, managing supply chains, operating auctions, building virtual communities and Web portals.

Measuring Benefits
Tangible benefits of Ecommerce include increased sales and reduced costs. An example of an intangible benefit is increased customer satisfaction.

Managing Costs
-total cost of ownership: hardware/software costs, costs of hiring & training, paying the Web design, those who write or customize the software, create, operate and maintain the website.
-change management: process of helping employees cope with changes by communicating the need for change, including employees in the decision process, and allowing them to participate in the planning for the change.
-opportunity costs: the forgone benefits that a company could have obtained/lost benefits from an action not taken.
-web site costs: a basic entry-level site costs around $1 million, whereas a true differentiator would cost upwards of $15 million. Costs of maintaining and improving the site will be between 50-200% of the initial startup cost.

Comparing Benefits to Costs
-Major investments in equipment, personnel, or other assets are called capital projects or capital investments.
-If the benefits of a project exceed the costs by a considerable margin, the company invests in the project.
-Need to identify potential benefits, identify costs required to generate those benefits, and then evaluate whether or not those benefits exceed the costsàthe cost/benefit approach

Return on Investment
-measures the amount of income that will be provided by a specific current expenditure. Some of these techniques include: net present value method (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and the payback method.
-ROI techniques provide quantitative expressions of a comfortable benefit-to-cost margin for a specific company.

Strategies for developing Ecommerce Web Sites:
Internal development vs Outsourcing
-Using internal people to lead all projects ensures that the company’s specific needs are addressed and that the initiative is congruent with the goals and culture of the org.
-Outsourcing: hiring another company to provide the outside support for all or part of the project.
-The internal team: must have knowledge about the Internet & technologies, be creative thinkers, have business knowledge and the respect of the firm’s operating management. Also, a good sense of the company’s goals and culture is important. Measuring achievements can be non-monetary such as increased customer satisfaction, number of sales leads generated, etc. The company must recognize the value of its human capital, even though such assets do not show up on financial statements.
-Early outsourcing: when a company outsources the initial design and development to launch the project quickly. The outsourcing team then trains the company’s IS team in the new technology before handing the operation of the site over to them.
-Late outsourcing: the company’s IS team do the initial design & development work, implement the system until it becomes a stable part of operations. The maintenance of the system is then outsourced so that the IS team can develop new technologies to further their competitive advantage.
-Partial outsourcing: the company identifies portions of the project that can be completely designed, developed, implemented and operated by another firm that specializes in a particular function.

Selecting a hosting service
The most important factors to evaluate when selecting a hosting service:
-functionality
-reliability
-bandwidth and server ability
-security
-backup and disaster recovery
-cost

New methods for implementing partial outsourcing
-Incubators: companies that offer start-up companies a physical location with offices, accounting and legal assistance, computers, and Internet connections at a very low cost. Sometimes they offer seed money, management service, and marketing assistance as well. In exchange, they receive an ownership interest in the company, typically between 10 and 50 percent. Once the company is ready to go out on its own, the incubator sells its shares and invests in a new start-up company.
-Fast Venturing: an existing company that wants to launch an electronic commerce initiative, joins external equity partners (banks or venture capitalists) and operational partners (firms such as systems integrators, consultants, and Web portals) that can offer the experience and skills to develop be project very rapidly.

Managing Ecommerce implementations:
Project management
-The collection of formal techniques for planning and controlling the activities undertaken to achieve a specific goal.

Project portfolio management
-Each project in monitored as if it were an investment in a financial portfolio.

Staffing for Ecommerce
The general areas of staffing that are most important to the success of e-commerce initiatives include:
-business managers (sets objectives, implements business plan, makes adjustments)
-project managers (tracks costs/accomplishments of project objectives)
-account managers (keeps track of multiple Web sites in use by a project)
-applications specialists (maintenance of specific functional software programs)
-web programmers (designs and writes the underlying code for database driven sites)
-web graphics specialists (art, layout, composition, visual appeal/ease of use of Web site)
-content creators (writes original content for a Web site)
-content managers or editors (purchases and adapts existing material for Web site use)
-customer service reps (managing customer relationships in the ecommerce operation)
-systems administrators (responsible for the system’s reliable & secure operation)
-network operators (resolve network problems, developing fault resistant technologies)
-database administrators (defining data elements in database design, & DMBS operation)

Post-implementation Audits
-A formal review of a project after it is set up and running. It gives managers a chance to examine the objectives, performance specifications, cost estimates, and scheduled delivery dates of the project in its planning stage and compare it to what actually happened.