Explain the potential risks to an organisation of committing to an e-commerce system

Authors Avatar by ellouise1997hotmailcom (student)

I am working for a firm of e-commerce consultants. I have been asked to write a report to a start-up businesses explaining the potential risks to an organisation of committing to an e-commerce system.

Any business that operates online is at risk of many internet threats so it’s important that there is sufficient security to prevent any malicious harm to the business. One the main problem that happens is identity theft. This can make customers the victims of serious fraud and damage caused by viruses can close businesses down. It’s Important that businesses show that they are safe for their customers so they will want to continue using the site.

Hacking is a major problem within e-commerce. Hacking is when somebody gains unauthorised access to data in a system or computer. E-commerce businesses need to prevent hacking from occurring so that the day to day running of the businesses isn’t disturbed and to make sure customer details are not stolen and used for fraud. To prevent hacking from occurring, specialist software can be used to look at the ports of the computer and to identify what ones are open as this is the way hackers can enter. Therefore the best way to stop hacking is to make sure all unused ports are closed by a firewall. A firewall is a network security system that acts as a barrier to protect the system from unauthorised access.

Join now!

Viruses are another key risk in e-commerce. A virus is a piece of code which is capable of corrupting the system or destroying data. To prevent viruses from happening it’s important to have anti-virus software. It must also be updated regularly to be effective. New viruses are developed all the time and anti-virus software must develop new ways to target and prevent them from doing any harm therefore it’s important to constantly. Viruses could shut down a business’s due to the malicious harm it does which means the businesses wouldn’t be able to survive.

Identity theft is ...

This is a preview of the whole essay