The scenario asks me to explore how the advantages, and disadvantages of privacy on the internet, and how it would affect Grandma’s Treats business, and address the concerns of the internet and how would it be effective in protecting you and others from sharing information that should be kept private. It also would like me to choose which environment would be best for Grandma’s Treats and why?

Well let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages that I believe would help us all when using the internet, and e-commerce. When a computer connects to a network or website, and begins talking with other computers its taking a chance or a risk of getting effected. The internet world could be very dangerous if companies don’t know how to protect themselves or they’re computers. Now let me ask this question, what can happen with an unsecured web site? Well let me explain, the list below should give you an example of the kind of things that can occur.

• Unsolicited mail
• Files and information attacks
• Viruses, and worms
• Stolen credit card information
• Computer hackers, have access to personal information
• Customers feel threatened and will refuse to your web site
• Annoying messages
• Spam’s messages

These are just a few concerns that one would have over an unsecure web site. Now most company try to protect their computers, and fell to add the necessary requirements to fulfill their needs, that why, I will explore the advantages of having a secure site. With a secure website it will allow the company to protect the customer’s private information so that virus or hacker can’t access their records. The list below is the advantages that a secure website has over an unsecure site.

• It makes customers feel secure about their information
• Protect the site’s integrity and well being
• Stop unwanted attacks or misuses
• Encourages customer to shop and share information with companies

With this type of security feather in place it allows companies to give their customer the protection that they need. It also allows the company to make the customer feel more secure about providing information on their website knowing that it can’t be access from the company main data base.

When it comes to Grandma’s Treats the approach should be focusing on protecting the security and privacy of their customers. This means that the secured site would be the best choice for their business. The secured site is the best choice, because of the following list below.

• Make customers feel secure
• Encourage customers to shop and share private information
• Stop unwanted attacks or misuses
• Firewalls
• Software and hardware tools that define, control, and limit access to networks and computers

With these measures in place it would allow grandma’s treats to operate a safe, secure environment that would protect their customer privacy.

References

Web companies Announce Privacy Standards (announcing partnership of Netscape, VeriSign and Firefly).

Internet Site Agrees to Settle FTC Charges of Deceptively Collecting Personal Information Agency’s First Internet Privacy Case, FTC News Release, August 13, 1998.