Phishing is an attempt to acquire sensitive information (such as usernames, passwords and credit card details) criminally and fraudulently, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. It is typically carried out by e-mail or instant messaging, and often directs users to enter details at a website, although phone contact has also been used.
What is the example?
One of the examples is identity theft which is becoming more popular, because of the readiness with which unsuspecting people often divulge personal information to phishers, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, and mothers' maiden names. Once this information is acquired, the phishers may use a person's details to create fake accounts in a victim's name. They can then ruin the victims' credit, or even deny the victims access to their own accounts.
What are the prevention methods?
There are several different techniques to combat phishing, in social as well as technology aspect. 
Social aspect
Train people to recognize phishing attempts, and to deal with them. People can take steps to avoid phishing attempts by slightly modifying their browsing habits.
Technical aspect
Helping to identify legitimate sites
Some anti-phishing toolbars might display the domain name for the visited website. For example, some websites let users to type in their own labels for the particular websites, so that they can later recognize when they returned to the site. If the site is suspect, then the software may either warn the user or block the site outright.
Augmenting password logins
A method to prevent simple phishing of transaction numbers (TANs) is to associate each TAN with a "lock number". The bank's server sends the lock number as a challenge, and the user provides the corresponding TAN as the response. The server selects the key-lock pair randomly from the list to prevent acquiring two consecutive TANs. Lock numbers are not sequential, so that phishers can only guess correct lock numbers.
Eliminating phishing mail
Specialized spam filters can reduce the number of phishing e-mails that reach their addressees' inboxes. These approaches rely on machine learning and natural language processing approaches to classify phishing e-mails.
Monitoring and takedown
Several companies offer banks and other organizations likely to suffer from phishing scams round-the-clock services to monitor, analyze and assist in shutting down phishing websites. Individuals can contribute by reporting phishing to both volunteer and industry groups, such as PhishTalk.
1)http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci916037,00.html
2)http://www.symantec.com/norton/security_response/phishing.jsp
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Phishing - example and prevention methods
How to safeguard our personal and financial data
Nowadays, online shopping has become a popular way to purchase goods which offers a convenience that is not available from any other shopping outlet. We can search for goods from various vendors, compare prices with a few simple mouse clicks and make purchases without waiting in line. However, the internet is also convenient for attackers to access the personal and financial information of unsuspecting shoppers. This information enables the attackers to commit numerous forms of fraud such as transfer all the money available in the victim’s account to their account, using the victim’s financial account to apply for loan, make purchase using victim’s financial account or even selling the information to someone else. Therefore, as an intelligent online shopper, it is important to take steps to protect ourselves when shopping online. The following are some of the ways to keep us being protected against attacker:
Use and maintain anti-virus software, a firewall, and anti-spyware software
Install anti-virus software, firewall, and anti-spyware software in our computer to protect us against viruses and Trojan horses that may steal or modify the data on our computer. Use also legitimate anti-spyware program to scan computer and remove spyware or adware hidden in software program which may give attackers access to our data and make sure to keep our virus definitions up to date frequently.
Keep software, particularly web browser, up to date
Keep our web browser up to date on a regular basis. Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this option is available, we should enable it.
Shop with companies that we know
Try not to make any transaction with those merchants that you are not familiar because some attackers may try to trick you by creating malicious web sites that appear to be legitimate. If you have to do so, you must make sure you are interacting with a reputable vendor, ask for a paper catalog or brochure to get a better idea of their merchandise and services, and determine the company’s refund and return policies before you place your order.
Che
ck privacy policies
Before providing personal or financial information, check the websites privacy policy. Make sure you understand how your information will be stored and used.
Keep your password private
When you establish a password, try to be creative such as using a combination of letters, numbers and even symbols. Avoid using a telephone number, identity card number, birth date or numbers that someone could easily guess.
Make sure your information is being encrypted
Indications that your information will be encrypted include a URL that begins with “https:” instead of “http:” and a lock in the bottom right corner of the window.
Be wary of emails requesting information
Attackers may attempt to gather information by sending emails requesting that you confirm purchase or account information. Legitimate business will not send this type of information through email.
Friday, 13 June 2008
Discuss how E-commerce can reduce cycle time, improve employees’ empowerment and facilitate customer support.
Cycle time is the time period from the beginning to the end of the business process, as defined by the seller and the buyer. Traditionally, producer will sell their goods through intermediaries such as wholesaler and retailer before the goods were transferred to the customer. This process will specifically increase the cost of the goods when arriving in the customer’s hand. With the introduction of E-Commerce, customer can directly purchase goods from the manufacturer by just one click on the mouse. It is more efficient, convenient, reduce cost and time for both the buyer and seller.
Besides that, with the presence of intranet, employees are able to access to company’s database and able to alert whatever information about upcoming events or company’s certain decision that had been made. Employees may also deal directly with the complaints that had been made by customers, answering customers’ request and take action to solve their problems. Employees’ empowerment can be improved by giving more flexibility to the employees to access to the information and make decision.
Furthermore, E-commerce may allow customers to get relevant and detailed information that they needed about certain product in seconds. E-Commerce enables customers to shop or do other transaction 24 hours a day, all year round and from almost any location they are.
Kozmo.com
An example of an E-commerce failure and its causes~
“You could order anything from snacks to movies at any time and have them delivered direct to your door within 1 hour with no delivery charge!”
This was a great idea that founded by young investment bankers, Joseph Part and Yong Kang in March 1998 in New York City. Kozmo.com was a venture-capital-driven online company that promised free one-hour delivery of anything from DVD rentals to Starbucks Coffee in the United States.
Kozmo promoted an incredible business model; it promised to deliver small good free of charge, typically by using bicycle messengers. The idea was great but ultimately a little too good to be true. One of the basic problems with its business model was offering a costly home-delivery service for free, even on very small orders on which it was impossible to turn a profit.
Moreover, Kozmo’s greatest error with their customers occurred when they stopped catering to their main client base of middle class college-students. This was done so that they could target more upscale client who would order expensive products. This was a misguided decision making because the college student customer is made up 76% of its business.
A simple idea turns into a multi-million dollar company in a few years. Kozmo.com’s aura helped it raises more than $250 million, but the company was unable to generate enough revenue to cover costs. In 1999, it had $3.5million in revenue, compared $26.4 million in net losses.
Not surprisingly, the company failed soon after the collapse of the dot-com bubble, laying off its staff of 1,100 employee and shutting down in April 2001.
AMaZon.com
An example of an E-commerce success and its causes~ 
Amazon.com Inc is recognized as one of the most popular and successful e-commerce company.
The keys success are lowering price, offering convenience, expanding selection, increasing availability and its strong focus on customer experience which is infused throughout all levels of the company and includes all aspect of the buying process. It is famous among online shoppers with its good-quality search function, understands customer profiling without invading customer privacy, and remembers your shopping cart even you left for several months compare with other online retailers.
It also gives you options that most online retailers can only dream of, such as the ability to group your items into as few shipments as possible. Amazon.com has grown its business in many ways to increase its revenue such as it has managed to build a retail business with a negative operating cash flow cycle which enable the working capital effectively become a source of investment cash for the company, the Marketplace of third party sellers created by Amazon enable Amazon receives a commission on products sold, new product categories, and other businesses.
Unlike eBay/Paypal, Amazon sellers do not have to maintain separate payment accounts - all payments and payment security are handled by Amazon itself. Customers are more confidence and trust them. According to a Compete.com survey, Amazon attracts approximately 50 million U.S. consumers to its website on a monthly basis.
Thursday, 12 June 2008
History and Evolution of E-commerce
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
~Self-descriptions~
Ai Ting
Let me introduce myself. My name is Ai Ting, an undergraduate accounting student of University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) FAM, year 3 semester 1, and I am from group 4. This is my first time posting a blog entry just because this is an assignment, strangely enough for me. Since the life is short, everything must get a try.
I believe nowadays everyone knows about what is internet, so am I. The top 5 websites and internet activities that I frequently visited are:
Google – I always use the Google search engine to search for information for my assignment.
Friendster – I can get know new friends.
Xunlei – this is the website which has the latest movie, drama, and song for users to download. This is also my favourite website because one of my hobbies is watching movie, especially animation type. 
Yahoo and Hotmail – I can check and forward mail through this website.
SinChew daily – this website lets me get to know all the news in our country without going through physical newspaper.
Despite having internet activities, I enjoy my hobbies during leisure time too. I like reading novel, watching movie especially animation type and listening to music. Oh ya, I enjoy watching movie at cinema too..since the atmosphere and sound equipment at cinema are quite good.
Here ends my short description. Want to know more about me? Let’s read through our blog!
I am Hui Jun, a simple yet an ordinary girl. Since “Jun” means the 6th month in our calendar year, therefore many think that I am born in June, but in fact I am born in September, the month which I prefer most. (^0^)I like cooking, sewing, reading travelling, and sleeping. Cooking improves my creativity when preparing meals, while sewing and reading are the hobbies that I used to do especially during long break of our studies. Travelling enables me to experience amorous feelings of different nations. Lastly, sleeping is “unavoidable” since everyone should take a good rest before continue to a long life journey. Don’t you agree?
I always stay online all the day, although sometimes I might be away. It can help me staying connect with someone I love despite physical distance during weekdays. I like chit chatting via skype and msn, listening music, reading some meaningful articles, downloading dramas and the most importantly, I can update my Friendster blogs.
Therefore, from my preferences, the top 5 websites that I visited the most are:
www.friendster.com , where I can update my blogs
www.yahoo.com , where I can search for some useful information for assignments
www.gougou.com , where I can download some dramas
www.readnovel.com , where I can read some novels
www.chinapress.com , where I get to updated about local as well as global news
Pek Hua
I was born in KK, not Kota Kinabalu but is Kuala Kangsar(Perak). However, I was shifted and staying in KL now, so don't date me in KK ya. =P. Few days later I will become an adult. Although going to be getting metal key, but still behave like a small kid and with a childish mind (sometime when necessary) =P. There’s always an urge, telling me to change, unnecessary a change physically but a change mentally. Can’t always stay in comfort zone, right?
I like watching TV, reading whodunit and science fiction during sem break, sleeping and traveling but unfortunately at this moment I might not be able to travel a lot because of financial problem.
I seldom online but still have some favourite websites to surf, such as:
http://www.yahoo.com/ as it can help me find information and check mails.
http://www.friendster.com/ broaden my sociality
http://www.baidu.com/ enable me download my favourite songs
http://www.google.com/ as search engine which helps me finds information that I needed to do assignments, DIY presents and etc.
chinese.cari.com.my where I can read some forums.Moreover, I also like chatting with friends, listening music, checking mails, downloading music, reading novels and other’s blogs, and playing online games through internet.
That’s me. I am Pek Hua.
Melissa
I’m Melissa, an independent girl coming far away from KK, Sabah. Sometimes, my friends will ask me that whether Sabahan is still staying up on the tree. It sounds really weird and ridiculous. So, please come to visit Sabah and you will know that whether we are still staying up on the tree or not..haha :p
When I’m free, I like to watch TV (especially Hong Kong TVB drama), listening to music, chit chatting with friends, shopping…etc
The top 5 websites that I used to visit the most are:
http://www.friendster.com/ - where I can stay connect with my new friends and old classmates.
http://www.hotmail.com/ - where I can check my mail box.
http://www.sogou.com/ - where I can download latest music.
http://www.google.com/ – where I can find information for assignments.
http://www.airasia.com/ – where I can check cheap air tickets to back to my hometown.
