The Cybercriminal

The cybercriminal is looking to steal and disrupt. Securing a website should be a top priority for

any company—small, medium, or large—that uses the Internet to conduct its business.

Given the state of cybercrime, assuring the security and the privacy of e-consumers (the

protection of the personal information of customers on the Internet) are necessary to build and

maintain confidence in the e-market, particularly because the risk of privacy invasion and

security flaws is significant. [29] Further, such assurances have been found to have a significant

impact on the willingness to purchase. [30]

E-customers voice their privacy concerns in different ways. Here are some examples: [31]

• “I don’t like websites that ask you for personal information that is not necessary for the purchase to be

made.”

• “All privacy notices contain the same information, and besides, how do I know that the website actually

follows the privacy policy.”

• “I’m not comfortable at all with the idea of the online retailer having my personal information and selling

it to other companies for marketing purposes.”

The scope of failure in protecting customers’ personal information can be potentially devastating

because of the global reach of the Internet; the effect can easily reach millions of

people.