A lot of e-business functions can now be done online. Many users have set up accounts to check their credit card statements, shop, or pay various bills online. For most of us, as long as the Web sites are brand names and we have a user ID and password, we log in and do our online transactions. Data thus remains intact, but privacy is compromised. Credit card, social security, and account numbers can be stolen through eavesdropping.
Data tampering A device is placed to intercept the data in transit.
Data is then altered or replaced before it is sent to the recipient. For example, someone can alter the transfer amount to and from a bank account. Entity repudiation Data is passed to a person who poses as the intended recipient. Thus, all data is sent to this newly configured machine. A set of well-established techniques and standards known as public key cryptography helps avoid the Internet security complications mentioned above.