And yes, financial transactions are typically not secure on the Web. But security is available to any merchant that wants it, even though most haven't gone through the process yet. My entirely biased opinion is that the best secure internet payment system is CyberCash . First Virtual , DigiCash , and GC Tech all have well-known and respected payment systems as well. In the interest of objectivity, evaluating the different products is left as an exercise for the reader.
Internet is the next commercial frontier.
Think about it, you can have access to millions of customers. Products and services can be sold 24 hours a day. And since transactions are handled electronically, sales and distribution can be done much more cost-effectively. Saying the WWW is the best Internet information service is like saying the hammer is the best tool in my toolbox. It's only true if you are thinking of certain kinds of jobs.