E-COMMERCE: Established Online Transaction Protocols

E-Commerce
Why does e-commerce
  need encryption?
What kind of encryption
  does e-commerce use?
Digital Signature
Digital Certificate
Netscape's SSL
Secure Electronic
  Transaction

Digital Copyright
   Protection
Glossary

Use of Data Encryption in Today's Context: E-Commerce

Established Online Transaction Protocols

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
Netscape's Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol is currently the most widely used method for performing secure transactions on the Web and is supported by most Web servers and clients including Netscape's Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol provides several features that make it particularly suitable for use in e-commerce transactions.

Privacy is guaranteed through encryption. Although data can still be intercepted by a third party they will be unable to read it as they have no access to the encryption key.
Integrity is also ensured through encryption. If a message is received that will not decrypt properly then the recipient knows that the information has been tampered with during transmission.
Authentication is provided through digital certificates. Digital certificates provide the basis for secure electronic transactions as they enable all participants in a transaction to quickly and easily verify the identity of the other participants.

Netscape was one of the pioneers in online information public security when it introduced SSL (secure sockets layer) in its popular Navigator browser in 1995. SSL is an encryption technology that scrambles a message so that only the recipient can unscramble it, using technologies developed by RSA Security. URLs that begin with "https://" are using SSL.
It increased the volume of online transaction, because this reduces online transaction risk and increases customer sense of security. People are much more willing to supply their credit card to the intended merchant when they learn of the security feature.
To be able to use SSL, a particular web-server must enable its SSL feature. Just like telephones, this will work only when the visitors' browser support SSL, the recent batch of which actually do. Both merchant and potential customer then should obtain a digital ID (also known as an authentication certificate) from a trusted third-party source that can vouch for their repective identity. A digital certificate as a form of identification in the online world, where a reputable company confirms that one really is who one says one is.
Secure Electronic Transaction (SET)
SET is the Secure Electronic Transaction protocol developed by Visa and MasterCard specifically for enabling secure credit card transactions on the Internet. It uses digital certificates to ensure the identities of all parties involved in a purchase and encrypts credit card information before sending it across the Internet.
Like SSL, SET allows for the merchant's identity to be authenticated via digital certificates. However, SET also allows for the merchant to request users authenticate themselves through digital certificates. This makes it much more difficult for someone to use a stolen credit card.
A further advantage of SET is that the merchant has no access to credit card numbers and thus another source of fraud is eliminated.

Copyright ©1999 ThinkQuest Team 27158 — Developed for ThinkQuest 1999

E-Commerce Why does e-commerce need encryption? What kind of encryption does e-commerce use? Digital Signature Digital Certificate Netscape's SSL Secure Electronic Transaction Digital Copyright Protection Glossary			Use of Data Encryption in Today's Context: E-Commerce Established Online Transaction Protocols Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Netscape's Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol is currently the most widely used method for performing secure transactions on the Web and is supported by most Web servers and clients including Netscape's Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol provides several features that make it particularly suitable for use in e-commerce transactions. Privacy is guaranteed through encryption. Although data can still be intercepted by a third party they will be unable to read it as they have no access to the encryption key. Integrity is also ensured through encryption. If a message is received that will not decrypt properly then the recipient knows that the information has been tampered with during transmission. Authentication is provided through digital certificates. Digital certificates provide the basis for secure electronic transactions as they enable all participants in a transaction to quickly and easily verify the identity of the other participants. Netscape was one of the pioneers in online information public security when it introduced SSL (secure sockets layer) in its popular Navigator browser in 1995. SSL is an encryption technology that scrambles a message so that only the recipient can unscramble it, using technologies developed by RSA Security. URLs that begin with "https://" are using SSL. It increased the volume of online transaction, because this reduces online transaction risk and increases customer sense of security. People are much more willing to supply their credit card to the intended merchant when they learn of the security feature. To be able to use SSL, a particular web-server must enable its SSL feature. Just like telephones, this will work only when the visitors' browser support SSL, the recent batch of which actually do. Both merchant and potential customer then should obtain a digital ID (also known as an authentication certificate) from a trusted third-party source that can vouch for their repective identity. A digital certificate as a form of identification in the online world, where a reputable company confirms that one really is who one says one is. Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) SET is the Secure Electronic Transaction protocol developed by Visa and MasterCard specifically for enabling secure credit card transactions on the Internet. It uses digital certificates to ensure the identities of all parties involved in a purchase and encrypts credit card information before sending it across the Internet. Like SSL, SET allows for the merchant's identity to be authenticated via digital certificates. However, SET also allows for the merchant to request users authenticate themselves through digital certificates. This makes it much more difficult for someone to use a stolen credit card. A further advantage of SET is that the merchant has no access to credit card numbers and thus another source of fraud is eliminated.
			Copyright ©1999 ThinkQuest Team 27158 — Developed for ThinkQuest 1999