Internet Security Tools

• firewall : firewall refers to a mechanism which functions in between the incoming information nd a computer. it is a barrier which prevents the entry of harmful information and viruses into the computer.
• password : it is a secret code for entering into the internet services. password protect the services and accounts from unauthorized entry.
• Anti- virus programs :a powerful anti- virus software detects the viruses and destroys them .
• Encryption : it is the process of translating information from its original form to a coded form .
• Back ups : it is a method used to safeguard valuable information against destructions . important files are copied in a CD and kept separately for references. back ups can be used in case the original information is lost.
• digital signature : it is an electric signature used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a message or the signer of a documents.
• sources socket layers (SSL) : it is a type of encryption between a customer and a merchant. all important information are encrypted before they are sent through the internet.

Internet security threats

• adware : it refers to advertising supported software . it is used to for displaying advertisements on the computer in the form of banners or pop ups . it can slowly working in the computer. it can slow down the internet connection due to downloading advertisements.
• Trojans : it is a program which poses as harmless but is destructive in reality. in simple words Trojans are self sufficient programs that do not need another program to attach to. to system can be protected from the attack of Trojans by not opening the mail from unknown sources .
• virus : it is a program that attaches itself to another program . it is not self sufficient as in the case of Trojans . it needs to another program to survive. virus corrupt the destroy information stored in various files. they effect the computer memory and disrupt the functioning of the computer.
• worms : worms are similar to virus . they attack computers in a network having some security holes. they enter through some security holes and attempt to replicate from computers. it can be protecting by installing anti-virus programs .
• cookies : cookies are files that enable websites to remember the details of a visitor. when a person visits a website , it places a file called cookies on the computer. using the cookies the website can remember the details of the visitor.
• phishing : it refers to the use of bogus e-mails or websites to induce a user to provide confidential pr personal information.
• pharming : it means redirecting a person from a legitimate website to a bogus website.
• hacking : it refers to breaking into a computers with the intention of getting data in a unauthorized way. hackers try to do steal, alter or delete information stored in a computer.
• Denial of service attack : this type of attack prevents a person from accessing a computer or a website. the computer overloaded with information which makes it inaccessible by the genuine users.

E-payment Media

• credit card

credit card is a plastic money which acts as an instrument of credits . it allows the holder to buy goods and services based on the holder’s promise to pay for those goods and services. the issuing bank creates a revolving account and grants credit to the customers from which he can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance to the user. ex: visa card, mastercard. it can be used for buying goods and services without making immediate cash payments.

• Debit card

debit card is an electronic card issued by a bank which allows bank clients access to their accounts to withdraw cash or pay for goods and services . advantages of debit card are following

• debit card re accepted by merchants with less identification and scrutiny
• debit card can be used as an ATM card for withdrawing cash
• debit card avoids carrying cheque books or cash
• they are suited to international travellers

• E-cheque

Electronic cheque is a electronic image of paper cheque. the negotiable instruments and miscellaneous provisions act 2002 has introduced the concept of electronic cheque .

Features of electronic cheque

• it is an exact mirror image of a paper cheque
• it is generated , written and signed in a secured manner using digital signature which is legally valid
• it may or may not have bio-metric signature
• there should be minimum safety standards like a symmetric crypto system

• smart card

smart card is also known as chip cards use a different technology. it contains a computer micro-chip embedded within the plastic unit provides unique capabilities . it offers consumers the ability to hold multiple applications on a single card. so a customer need not carry different card for different use. when a transaction is made using the smart card, the value is debited and the balance in the account of the customers come down automatically.

• E-cash

E-cash is an electronic or digital form of value storage and value exchange . it can be used to settle all types of e-commerce transactions. it combines computerized convenience with security and privacy which is an improvement on paper cash.

• E-wallet

it is an electronic version of a wallet used to store E-cash and personal information needed to transact e-business. such a wallet lives in a secured area in the user’s computer. the main objective of E-wallet is to make paperless money transaction easier.

E-commerce marketing strategies

• world wide web (www)

The world wide web consortium (w3c) was founded by Tim berners lee. connected by the existing internet, other websites were created round the world, adding international standards of domain name and HTML. the world wide web enabled the spread of information over the internet through an easy to use and flexible format. in other words the WWW commonly known as the web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the internet.

• website

A website is a set of related web pages that contain information in the form of text , video, audio,…etc. web pages are typically written using the formatting instructions of language such as hyper text markup language. websites are classified into two : static websites, dynamic websites. static website deliver static information to the user. these sites are easier to develop and are develop quickly. and also do the complex task as required by many online services. updating such sites is time consuming. Whereas dynamic websites deliver dynamic information to the user . it is difficult to build . it do more complex task that are required by online services and are easier to update.

• corporate website

it is an informal website operated by a business or by a private enterprises such as non profit foundations . such a website is like a 24 /7 public relations department. this site provides information to the public about the company. it’s platform for news, updates, press material regarding business. this site will provide the contact information . also a feedback from is provided , by which visitors may submit messages.

• portal

it is the starting point to the users when they connect to the web. a portal presents information from diverse source in a unified way. there are general and specialized portal (niche portals) . typical services offered by public portal sites includes a dictionary of website search engine , news , online shopping etc. private niche portals are those that are used by employees of a company. it includes access to enterprise database , internal phone dictionary, employee documentation etc. some of the major portals are yahoo, excite, AOL and MSN .

• search engine

it is an information retrieval system. they are programs that search documents for specified keywords and return a list of documents where the key words were found. the term search engine is used to describe systems like google, bing, and yahoo etc , that enable users to search for documents on the www.

in simple words it is a web based tool that enable to locate information on the www (world wide web) . popular examples are google, yahoo, and MSN search . the information gathered by the spiders is used to create a searchable index of the web.

• social media

it refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, exchange information and idea in virtual communities and networks . social media is emerging fast as a successful marketing tool. number of peoples using social media platforms such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram etc .

• affiliated marketing

it is an arrangement in which a company’s products are marketed by other peoples in return for a percentage of sales generated through their efforts.

Advantages of E-commerce

benefits are classified into 3 category

1. Benefits to organization

• international market place : e-commerce enables businessman to overcome the restrictions existing in different geographical regions to traditional type of business

• savings to operational cost : e-commerce helps in reduce the transaction cost
• mass customization : e-commerce allows products and services to be customized to suit the customers requirement.
• any time business : business stores are open to the customers at any time and anywhere
• scope of creativity : well defined websites generate interest for the company and its products which results in repeated visits.

2. Benefits to consumers

• convenience of shopping : shopping through internet is highly convenient to the customers
• any time access : enables customers to conduct transactions 24 hours a day from any location
• wide choice : customers can choose from a wide variety of products nd services
• price comparison : customers can visit different shop sites , compare prices re more suitable products
• improves order processing : quick order processing is an important advantage to customers

3. Benefits to society

• connect people all over the world : e-commerce enables people in different countries belonging to urban and rural areas to enjoy and access products , services nd information.
• flexible working practices : it enables people to work from their home.
• low prices : goods get at price lower than the traditional marketing
• raises standard of living : access to international marketing helps people to enjoy a higher standard of living
• facilitates delivery of public services : for ex : health services available over the internet.

M-Commerce

it means mobile commerce. it refers buying and selling of goods and services through mobile phones

Advantages of m-commerce

• wider reach
• lower cost
• convenience
• accessibility
• easy connectivity
• personalization
• time efficient

disadvantages of m-commerce

• low acceptance rate
• limited capabilities
• theft or destruction
• low customer retention rate
• other issues

Reasons for growth of e-marketing

• Increase in access to IT
• any time , any where ,anyone
• organizational changes
• digital revolution
• increasing demand for customized products and services
• increased product awareness
• consumer preferences
• growing importance of social media
• benefits to small businesses

E-payment system

It means making payments through electronic media by using credit or debit cards for the products brought electronically . it is widely used in air ticketing, insurance, banking etc.

Types of e-payment system

1. Electronic fund transfer (FTP)

this is a computer based system that facilitates the transfer of money between two financial institutions the same day or overnight.

2. Electronic token based e-payment system

it is a digital analogue of various forms of payments backed by a bank or financial institutions. there are 3 types: cash or real time, debit or prepaid, credit or post paid.

3. E-money or E=cash

it is an electronic medium for making payments and is the trend today . it is the creation of electronic money by banks., which buyers and sellers trade for goods and services.

Scope of E-marketing

• internet marketing : simply means marketing through internet. in other words it means achieving marketing objectives through applying internet technologies.
• Digital marketing : it refers to achieving marketing objectives through applying digital technologies such as websites , e-mail as well as other digital media such as wireless or mobile and media for delivering digital television such as cable and satellite
• Search engine marketing : it identifies what words customer need to use when searching for products and services .
• E-mail marketing : it is an effective tool for building relationships with customers online with a view to promote its products and services.
• Viral marketing : it refers to word of mouth marketing through electronic channel like e-mail, internet ,etc. it is an online form of word of mouth communication.
• Teleshopping : the television viewers can see a show where products are demonstrated by a host. the customers get details about the products from seeing the show.
• E-branding : it means paying attention to the entire realm of users experience and how that experience is influenced by online presence.
• E-advertising : it means advertising that uses the internet and other forms of digital media to help a business promote and sell goods and services.

Types of Business model(types of e-commerce / e-commerce business models)

E-commerce business models are the fundamental methods that show how an e-businesses make money online. there are 2 types of classification under e-commerce model

• involvement of business parties
• on the basis of the involvement of the business partners , business models have been classified into

1. Business to business (B2B)

it is the exchange of products , services or information between business. that is B3B e-commerce defines e-commerce a business that takes place between organizations. B2B marketplace are internet based services that brings together buyers and sellers , thereby giving buyers more choices and aggregating demand for the sellers . transaction cost can be reduced , results in potential savings for both buyer and seller.

2.Business to customers (B2C)

it refers to exchange of goods and services between business and customers . these are e-commerce sites that sell products and services or provide information directly to the customers .the ultimate goal is the conversion of shoppers into buyers as aggressively consistently as possible.

3. Consumer to business (C2B)

it is a business model where the end consumers create products and services which are consumed by businesses and organizations. in this model individual customers offer to sell products and services to companies who are prepared to purchase them.

4. consumer to consumer (C2C)

C2C provides a way for consumers to sell to each other , with the help of an online business. ex: e-buy.com. it is an established space where individuals can come together online to one site to communicate , connect and get to know one another.

5. Business to government (B2G)

it is also known as public sector marketing. it refers to the businesses selling products , services or information to government or government agencies. it provides a way for businesses to bid on government projects or products that government might purchase or need for their organizations.

6. Business to employees (B2E)

it is an approach in which the focus of business is the employee rather than the consumer or the businesses. B2E encompasses everything that businesses do to attract and retain well qualified staff in a competitive market, such as aggressive recruiting tactics , benefits , education opportunities etc.

• styles of business transactions

on the basis of styles of business transactions business model have been classified into followings

• brokerage model : brokers are marketing middleman . they bring buyers and sellers together and facilitates transactions.
• Advertising model : the website provides content and services mixed with advertising messages in the form of banner ads.
• merchant model : it includes wholesalers and retailers of goods and services . sales are normally made on the basis of list of prices or catalogue prices.
• direct or manufacture model : it means manufacture to reach buyers directly .
• affiliated model : under this model affiliated are paid on the basis of their performance . if an affiliate does not generate sales, it represents no cost to the merchants
• community model : it is based on user loyalty. knowledge network is a type of community where expert sites provide a source of information based on professional expertise or the experience of other users.
• subscription model : users are charged a periodic -daily , monthly. or annual fee to subscribe to a service . subscription fees are incurred irrespective of actual usage rates.