Usability and Trust in Information Systems

The need for people to protect themselves and their assets is as old as humankind. People's physical safety and their possessions have always been at risk from deliberate attack or accidental damage. The advance of information technology means that many individuals, as well as corporations, have an additional range of physical (equipment) and electronic (data) assets that are at risk. Furthermore, the increased number and types of interactions in cyberspace has enabled new forms of attack on people and their possessions. Consider grooming of minors in chat-rooms, or Nigerian email cons: minors were targeted by paedophiles before the creation of chat-rooms, and Nigerian criminals sent the same letters by physical mail or fax before there was email. But the technology has decreased the cost of many types of attacks, or the degree of risk for the attackers. At the same time, cyberspace is still new to many people, which means they do not understand risks, or recognise the signs of an attack, as readily as they might in the physical world. The IT industry has developed a plethora of security mechanisms, which could be used to mitigate risks or make attacks significantly more difficult. Currently, many people are either not aware of these mechanisms, or are unable or unwilling or to use them. Security experts have taken to portraying people as "the weakest link" in their efforts to deploy effective security [e.g. Schneier, 2000]. However, recent research has revealed at least some of the problem may be that security mechanisms are hard to use, or be ineffective. The review summarises current research on the usability of security mechanisms, and discusses options for increasing their usability and effectiveness

Encryption – use and control in E-commerce

The author describes how cryptography can be used to address modern business requirements such as identity protection, secure web access and digital signatures. Article by Robert Bond (Head of Innovation & Technology Group, Hobson Audley and Fellow of SALS). Published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and its Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

Security Measures in Mobile Commerce: Problems and Solutions

Due to the advent of the Internet, electronic business transactions have exploded around the globe. Along with the Internet, wireless technology has exponentially developed as well. Today, new technologies that allow mobile (cellular) phones and other handheld devices to access the Internet have made wireless business transactions possible. This phenomenon is known as mobile commerce or M-Commerce. It has been predicted that the number of mobile phones connected to the mobile Internet will exceed the number of Internet-connected PCs before 2007. The mobile phone will therefore become the most prevalent device for accessing the Internet. Several industry analysts predict that Mcommerce will constitute a multibillion dollar business by 2005. However, M-Commerce brings new challenges in providing information security as information travels through multiple networks often across wireless links. What must be done to secure financial transactions via mobile commerce? Generally speaking, M-Commerce creates more security concerns than traditional E-Commerce. In this paper, security measures in M-Commerce, wireless security, and the application of cryptography for key generation, authentication, digital signature and digital certificate are discussed

Mobile Business as Strategic Tools in the US Airline Industry

This thesis analyzes opportunities and threats of mobile business in the context of the US airline industry as s strategic tool to create a sustainable competitive advantage through the implementation of an effective mobile business model. The analysis is based on the assumption that mobile airline strategies have to create a strategic fit with the business environment seen from an airline perspective. Forces inherent in the global environment as well as in the micro-environment are analyzed using environmental scanning as systematic technique. Exploratory data obtained from a focus group interview is added to the analysis in order to assess opportunities and threats and to extract the key success factors for airline m-business, which is found to have tremendous impact on the way an airline creates value to its customers. Key success factors discussed in this thesis are user experience, the value contribution of mobile technology, and customer requirements. Crucial elements found for matching these factors are to expedite and facilitate processes, the ability to integrate systems into a mobile infrastructure, and using devices that yield quick and inexpensive results

Wireless and Mobile Computing Security Challenges and Their Possible Solutions

Mobile device security has become more critical as businesses begin to rely on these devices for everyday processes. Securing information from unauthorized access is a major problem for any network, especially in the wireless networks. This paper will discuss the main security challenges concerning the mobile devices such as tablet and cell phones which run a mobile Operating System (OS). More specifically, these are Android (Google), iOS (Apple), or BlackBerry OS (RIM). Major solutions to the security challenges will also presented and discussed in this paper

Electronic Payment Systems Observatory (ePSO). Newsletter Issues 9-15

Abstract not availableJRC.J-Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (Seville