The business with whom you deal, whether or not over the Internet, is more likely to make fraudulent use of your credit card information. Use can be made of secure links to boost confidence, and trust marks to identify reliable sites, such as those supported by TrustUK, are to be encouraged. A major part of many e-commerce systems is the need to identify customers reliably. How this is done can materially affect the business risk - and even the threat of criminal prosecution under Data Protection or other legislation. Reality - P asswords provide only the most basic check that someone logging in is authorised to use the associated system.
People tend to let others know their passwords - especially close relatives and business colleagues.
It m ay be more cost-effective to install a more complex authentication technology. The level of authentication put in place should reflect the risk that the wrong person can get hold of information - with or without the connivance of the true owner. Once built, it is all too easy to relax and run the system as a safe operational site. Once configured and installed, a security solution remains secure Reality - People tinker with systems, your business changes as do the threats. You need to ensure that systems maintain their security profile, and that your profile is continually re-assessed against the evolving business and external environment.