Encouraging Security, Privacy and Trust for Electronic Commerce BSA's members are software and technology providers who are at the forefront of electronic commerce. Revenue from e-commerce in Europe reached almost 1 billion in 1997, and is predicted to grow to anywhere from 29 to 85 billion by 2001. The number of retailers in Europe offering full on-line commerce will grow tenfold over the next five years, while the number of European adults using the Internet regularly is expected to exceed 100 million by 2003, making it larger than the largest European national market.
Electronic commerce is hurt by security concerns and legal uncertainties.
On-line communications may be susceptible to breaches of security or invasions of privacy that are different in form from those that took place in traditional forms of commerce. On-line contracts raise questions about the adequacy of the legal rules developed for paper contracts. The software industry has responded in a number of ways, by developing encryption to promote security and privacy, by promoting electronic signature products to foster on-line trust, and by supporting the modernization of contracting rules to deal with electronic contracting. One of the best means of fostering security and privacy in electronic commerce is through the use of encryption. Encryption lets people encode their private files and messages, much like a combination lock secures the privacy of information in a filing cabinet.