E-Commerce ALERTS - Archive 2001

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Effective December 31, 2012, articles are no longer being updated on this web site.
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REDUCED I.T. SPENDING MAY RUIN SOME RETAILERS

With the U.S. economy in recession and consumer confidence down, U.S. retailers are continuing to hold back on new I.T. investments, including B2C applications and e-commerce infrastructure — MORE

ONLINE HOLIDAY SALES MAY OUTPERFORM OFFLINE

It may have been a dismal holiday shopping season for many off-line merchants, but evidence is mounting that e-commerce sales exceeded some of the pre-Christmas forecasts, which would be welcome news for the Internet community — MORE

ATTACK OF THE COMPUTER ZOMBIES

A company that processes credit card transactions for Web sites has confirmed that customer Web server computers have been hacked and could be used in a massive Internet attack on other computers — MORE

LAST MINUTE SHOPPING GOES ONLINE

The Jupiter Media Metrix Online Shopping Index increased 55 percent during the week ending December 16 compared to the same week last year, climbing from 33.8 million to 52.3 million unique visitors — MORE

INTERNET, COMPUTER SECURITY CONCERNS AMERICANS

More than 70 percent of Americans are concerned about Internet and computer security. Another 74 percent expressed fears that their personal information on the Internet could be stolen or used for malicious purposes — MORE

FLEET WEB SITE FLAW EXPOSES PRIVATE RECORDS

A security hole exposed almost 600,000 Fleet Credit Card Services transaction records on the Internet last week — MORE

WIRELESS RISKS ON THE RISE, SAY EXPERTS

Wireless network deployments are on the rise, but, the knowledge and skills needed to secure them aren't keeping pace with ever-increasing threats, say experts — MORE

HOLIDAY ONLINE CONSUMER SPENDING SOARS IN LATE NOVEMBER

Americans spent an average of $77 online during the week after Thanksgiving, a 34 percent increase since the beginning of the holiday season, according to the Internet spending data released by Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive, and Nielsen//NetRatings — MORE

BUSINESSES BETTER UNDERSTANDING ONLINE FRAUD

Online credit card fraud continues to be a growing concern, and online merchants are taking more precautions than ever before, according to the 2001 Online Fraud Report — MORE

CONSUMERS WANT EASY-TO-READ PRIVACY NOTICES

The Privacy Leadership Initiative said yesterday that recent studies show that while most Americans think privacy notices are important, they find the notices too long and complicated — MORE

CONSUMER IDENTITY SERVICES NOT THE RAGE

According to a study from Gartner, the consumer identity services so often in the news in recent months aren't likely to be widely embraced by the public anytime soon — MORE

HACKERS GET INTO INSTANT MESSAGING

Instant messaging programs are proving to be as vulnerable to hacking attacks as email - and the security problem is set to grow — MORE

TRUST CENTRAL TO E-COMMERCE

Trust -- or the lack of it -- is emerging as one of the critical roadblocks to success in e-commerce and online marketing initiatives, according to a report by management consultants McKinsey & Co. — MORE

DON'T LET VIRUSES KNOCK YOU OUT

Whenever a virus of some form or other strikes, there are media stories about enterprises being knocked offline by the virus, and how many millions of dollars it costs. And each time, I wonder why. Just what does the virus do that's so destructive? — MORE

WEB MISHAP: KIDS' PSYCHOLOGICAL FILES POSTED

Detailed psychological records containing the innermost secrets of at least 62 children and teenagers were accidentally posted on the University of Montana Web site last week — MORE

E-COMMERCE: DON'T FEAR THE GRINCH

Market data shows that Internet usage and e-commerce have quietly moved from niche to mass-market, despite the collapse of so many businesses that once described the phenomenon — MORE

MICROSOFT'S LATEST SECURITY STAB: ONLINE QUIZ

Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday launched a new Web-based tool designed to help Internet users set their level of online privacy — MORE

NET USERS "SOCIABLE AND SUCCESSFUL"

Internet users do not deserve their reputation for being socially inadequate loners, a study has found — MORE

"DRIVE-BY" HACKING A REAL THREAT

X-Force -- an Internet Security Systems anti-hacking team -- takes its job very seriously, even taking to the streets of Sydney for security threat analysis in the form of 'drive-by hacking' — MORE

ONLINE SHOPPING: SATISFACTION GUARANTEED?

A September 2001 survey from Retail Forward finds that although 64% of US internet users are satisfied with their online shopping experience, only 2% say their experience is free of frustration — MORE

E-COMMERCE AND PRIVACY: FOR SECURITY, THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENSE

While many Americans may be willing to make some personal concessions under the guise of national security and what Dick Cheney terms our "new normalcy," it is also apparent that they are less willing to forfeit their liberties when it comes to protecting personal privacy online — MORE

HACKER EXPOSES PLAYBOY.COM CUSTOMERS

Customer information - including credit card numbers - has been stolen from an unknown number of customers on Playboy.com's database — MORE

ANALYSTS: SUCCESSFUL E-BUSINESS REQUIRES CHANGE

Several IT market analysts spoke Tuesday at the eCustomer World 2001 Conference in Toronto about what is necessary for a successful future for Canadian businesses — MORE

REPORT: BUSINESS FAILS ON NETWORK SECURITY

Multinational corporations are still far off from securing their networks and seem to be focusing on the wrong threats, according to a report expected from Big Five accounting firm KPMG this week — MORE

STUDY: WEB-PRIVACY CONCERNS COST US$3.4 BILLION

Consumers' concerns over privacy are taking a massive toll on Internet commerce, with Internet research firm Cyber Dialogue in a recent study putting that total at US$3.4 billion yearly — MORE

U.S. FEDERAL AGENCIES FLUNK COMPUTER SECURITY

U.S. Federal computer network security is getting worse, rather than better, according to the latest "computer security report card" released Friday by the General Accounting Office — MORE

PRIVATE SECTOR URGED TO GET WITH THE CANADIAN BILL C-6 PRIVACY PROGRAM

George Radwanski has this advice for organizations wondering what to make of this country's work-in-progress privacy law: Change the way electronic information on current and prospective customers is gathered and used because it's not going to disappear — MORE

ONLINE RETAILING: THE RUMOURS OF ITS DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED

The rise of the dot-com empire was meteoric and the introduction of new online ventures widespread. But the fall was equally spectacular - leaving pundits, retailers and venture capitalists alike sifting through the carnage to figure out just what went wrong — MORE

TOOLKIT DEMONSTRATES 'E-BUSINESS CASE' TO SMALL AND AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

The Canadian E-Business Opportunities Roundtable in partnership with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has released the SME E-Business Information Toolkit — MORE

INSTANT MESSAGING THREATENS SECURITY

Security experts have warned companies that increased use of corporate instant messaging services could increase vulnerability to virus attacks and the interception of messages — MORE

LUMP OF COAL FOR E-COMMERCE PREDICTIONS

Flying in the face of research that has predicted a prosperous holiday season for online retailers, a study by Odyssey has found online consumers becoming wary of e-commerce — MORE

CORPORATE INSTANT MESSAGING

Instant Messaging in the corporate workplace remains controversial. Users claim that the software provides a boost to productivity. They say they can quickly get answers from suppliers and co-workers without the delays of voice mail and e-mail. They also argue that it is less expensive. IT managers argue that IM software breaches security — MORE

SECURITY FLAWS: MICROSOFT LEAVES ITS WALLET WIDE OPEN

Software flaws in the security of Microsoft's Passport authentication system left consumers' financial data wide open, causing the software giant to remove a key service from the Internet to protect people from having their data stolen, a company representative acknowledged on Friday — MORE

PEOPLE "WEAKEST LINK" IN SECURITY EFFORTS

Humans may be the weakest link in securing information systems, according to a panel of experts at a conference organized by the Computer Security Institute last week — MORE

E-COMMERCE SHOWS NO LASTING EFFECT FROM TERROR ATTACK

The events of Sept. 11 have not had a long-lasting negative effect on online shopping, nor have they prompted people to turn to the Internet as an alternative to public shopping places — MORE

CANADIANS LOVE THEIR E-MAIL

Much like it is in America and other developed Internet markets, e-mail is the No. 1 activity of those online in Canada, a study by Ipsos-Reid found — MORE

STUDY REVEALS 88% OF CONSUMERS HAVE MADE PURCHASES AS A RESULT OF PERMISSION-BASED E-MAIL

DoubleClick Inc. unveiled the results of its 2001 Consumer Email study on October 30th. The data from the study states that over 88% of consumers have purchased as a result of permission-based email, demonstrating an opportunity for marketers this holiday season — MORE

ATTENTION, SUPER SHOPPERS

With prospects for a blue Christmas more apparent by the day, some multichannel merchants see a chance to salvage the season with incentives designed to pad the fourth-quarter fall and provide payoffs in more prosperous times — MORE

BACK FROM THE DEAD: ONLINE SHOPPING

Despite the dim outlook, analysts are generally expecting strong growth in online retail sales during the holiday season. Gartner G2 expects fourth quarter online retail sales to grow 39 percent to $25.3 billion — MORE

ePRIVACY: TRANSFORMING CUSTOMER PRIVACY INTO A CATALYST FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Complete text of a speech recently delivered by George Radwanski, Privacy Commissioner of Canada — MORE

INTERNET USE BY CANADIAN BUSINESSES EVOLVES

The majority of Canadian businesses now have a Web presence, but most of them are not using the Internet to its full marketing potential, according to a study by the Canadian Marketing Association — MORE

ANTHRAX FEARS PLAGUE ONLINE MERCHANTS

The widening anthrax scare has thrown another major wrench into the gears of e-commerce, potentially slowing package delivery, undermining confidence in the mail and raising shipping costs — MORE

PRIVACY VS. PROFITS - Earn Customers' Trust and Their Business

While there is a disparity between what many online users say and do when their privacy is at stake, another subset of consumers is more steeled: Of those who are connected but do not transact online, 58 percent say it's because they fear their information will be stolen or misused — MORE

SURVEY FINDS SECURITY PRACTICES APPALLING

Despite the recent attacks of viruses, individuals are reluctant to review their security practices, according to a recent survey conducted by Central Command — MORE

GOOD SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IS CRUCIAL

Firms are being advised to tighten up on security administration rather than switch from Microsoft software to open source operating systems, as fears over digital vulnerabilities mount — MORE

NEW RECORDS PREDICTED FOR HOLIDAY E-COMMERCE

More than 106 million people will shop online in December, and they will spend a record $9.9 billion during the holiday season, an increase over last year's $6.9 billion, according to Nielsen//NetRatings and Harris Interactive — MORE

SURVEY SHOWS PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PRIVACY

Overseas surveys show New Zealand Privacy Commissioner Bruce Slane that concern about insecurity of credit card details and what would happen to other personal details were the biggest inhibitors to consumers doing business on the Net — MORE

INTERNET ATTACKS ON THE RISE

More targets and more information going online is leading to sharp increases in probes, viruses and other attacks. The number of Internet attacks reported by companies looks likely to double in 2001, a government-funded security response group reported — MORE

COMPANIES LACK UNDERSTANDING OF INFORMATION SECURITY ISSUES

The security of just about everything is now under a microscope, and that includes everything from customer data on consumer-facing Web sites to wireless corporate networks. As a result, International Data Corp. expects the worldwide market for information security services to reach $21 billion by 2005 — MORE

PUTTING YOUR WEB SERVERS UNDER LOCK AND KEY

Use Microsoft servers with care. Both Nimda and Code Red II took advantage of weaknesses in the design of Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS), the popular Web server that's part of Windows 2000. That led John Pescatore, research director for Internet security at Gartner, to conclude that companies using IIS had better take a long, hard look at their systems — MORE

SURVEY DETAILS RUSSIAN SECURITY PROBLEM

The survey found that 65 percent of Russian companies suffered a security breach in the past year, compared to 70 percent in the U.S., and 39 percent reported hacker intrusions, nearly twice as many as Western European companies — MORE

NOW MORE THAN EVER - THE FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE MAY REST ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

Research done by both Forrester Research and BizRate.com has explored the role customer service plays in e-tail operations, and found it's the key to consumer loyalty — MORE

STOCKING UP: PREPARING YOUR SITE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

With predictions that this year's holiday season may be gloomy for merchants, it's even more important to clamp down on losses due to e-commerce fraud. Now's the time to start preparing, and to help you, here's a checklist of the basics — MORE

WEB SITE PROMOTES HUMAN SIDE OF SECURITY

The recently formed Human Firewall Council now has a web site to help companies understand that users and policies are as important as the technologies used to protect their systems — MORE

SEVEN SIMPLE STEPS FOR SECURING HOME USERS

Hoping to help home users prevent seven of the worst computer threats, the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) Monday posted a pared-down version of the SANS top 20 computer security tips — MORE

THE WEAKEST LINK

Information is flying all over downtown Toronto, streaming out of the wireless computer networks of small businesses, financial firms and law offices. Without proper security for these networks, anyone on the street can eavesdrop on their e-mail and files — MORE

PRIVACY IS A TOP CEO PRIORITY

Fretting over the legal and regulatory land mines posed by privacy, CEOs are increasingly making it a top priority, according to a new survey from the Direct Marketing Association — MORE

YAHOO! NEWS HACKED

In a development that exposes grave risks of news manipulation in a time of crisis, a hacker demonstrated last Tuesday that he could rewrite the text of Yahoo! News articles at will, apparently using nothing more than a web browser and an easily-obtained Internet address — MORE

VIRUSES DRIVE BREACHES TO NEARLY $1.4 TRILLION IN COSTS

A new PricewaterhouseCoopers survey indicates that global corporations suffered more than $1.39 trillion in lost revenue due to security breaches this past year — MORE

CYBER-TERRORISM: IS YOUR COMPANY A TARGET?

Using information technology as a strategic weapon has never been a more accurate metaphor, when attempting to critically define the concept of cyber-terrorism. Cyber-terrorism is a threat of "information warfare" in which a rogue nation, terrorist group or criminal cartel could perform a "systematic national intrusion" into computer systems, with effects comparable to the strategic bombing of infrastructure during the World War II. — MORE

COMPANIES FEAR CYBERTERRORISM AFTER ATTACKS

Corporations are taking steps to protect computer networks after last week's strikes on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, fearing that the next attacks might be launched online — MORE

SECURITY AUDITS PAY DIVIDENDS

Security planning and training does provide a return on investment, says a noted analyst. The widespread perception that security does not offer a return on investment is wrong, according to IBM Global Services — MORE

ONLINE RETAILERS EYE REVIVAL

As the retail industry gears up for the fall shopping season, a growing number of analysts are cautiously optimistic about online retailers, saying that many of them have solid businesses that could lead a dot-com revival — MORE

HACKTIVISTS EYEING U.S., ARAB CYBERSTRIKES

Authorities fear that a "cyberwar" between U.S. and Middle East hacktivists may be underway and are urging companies to lock down their systems in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. — MORE

ONLINE MERCHANT EMAILS CUSTOMER CREDIT CARD DETAILS

Dabs.com has booted merchants BuyB4Sold.com off its Dabsxchange auction site after the latter committed a serious security breach involving its customers' credit card details — MORE

PRIVACY ACT BRINGS NEW SET OF RISKS

By 2004, every time a Canadian company or organization asks an employee, customer or even John Q. Public to fill out a written questionnaire, it will be placing itself at risk — MORE

DOMAINS ARE BIG BUSINESS FOR BUSINESSES

Gartner analysts said enterprises must implement a strategy that assigns domain names with importance corresponding to the enterprise's overall needs. Gartner suggests that domain names be assigned three different priorities: critical, important and secondary — MORE

CRACKER INTERCEPTS VISA DEBIT CARD DATA

While Visa International is touting its initiatives to better protect credit card use over the Internet, banks in the Washington, D.C., area were alerting thousands of Visa debit cardholders that a cracker may have gotten hold of their personal data — MORE

NEW PAYMENT OPTIONS WILL OPEN E-COMMERCE TO TEENS

The development of new payment options, specifically targeted at teenagers, will help online teenage spending to increase to $10.6 billion by 2005, according to Datamonitor's report "Online Teen Payments." Teenage payment systems, such as prepaid plastic cards, are currently provided by only a handful of suppliers — MORE

BANKING SYSTEMS FAR FROM HACKER-PROOF

Banks are pushing customers to go online like never before, but few are making sure their systems are hacker-proof, according to statistics recently released by the FBI — MORE

WARNING ISSUED ABOUT ONLINE RESUMÉS

A U.S. consumer watchdog warned job hunters yesterday that their resumés may be misused by marketers and identity thieves when they register at online career sites — MORE

SETTING OUT THE SNARES FOR HACKERS

Relying partly on criminal psychology and partly on computer security, the Honeynet Project enlists experts to lay traps to examine the modus operandi of predatory hackers, or "black hat" hackers — MORE

ENGINEER DISCOVERS SECURITY HOLE ON VERIZON WEB SITE

A Seattle engineer says he found a huge hole in Verizon Wireless's Web site that allows unauthorized access to personal information, including customer phone numbers and cellphone usage records — MORE

SELECTING AN INTERNET PAYMENT PROVIDER

Do you need to choose an online payment provider? This resource was submitted by a teacher at the Visa Merchant Resource Center — MORE

BUSINESSES FAIL THE SECURITY TEST

Businesses need to work harder on their e-business security in the wake of a report saying two-thirds have been attacked in some way. Company boards should do more to improve e-business security, as digital crime is deterring many firms from selling goods and services over the Internet — MORE

FIRMS TO SPY ON STAFF'S INTERNET USE

A computer package has been developed to allow businesses to monitor workers' Internet usage as it happens, in "real time" — MORE

"WAR DRIVING": LATEST HACKER PASTIME

War driving, the practice of cruising downtown streets and looking for open wireless local area networks (LANs), is the newest hacker strategy to boil up from the geek underground — MORE

E-COMMERCE ALERT COMICS

Take a break and have a laugh! We are pleased to present our first E-Commerce ALERT comics -- three great drawings that are sure to entertain! — MORE

STUDENT FINANCE GLITCH - THOUSANDS OF PERSONAL RECORDS EXPOSED

A state investigation has been ordered after college students discovered their Social Security numbers, home addresses and other personal information on the Internet — MORE

HACKERS MAY HAVE BREACHED MUCHMUSIC

MuchMusic is warning the video station's contest entrants that their personal information may have fallen into the hands of hackers — MORE

TROUBLESHOOTING FOR TRANSACTION TURBULENCE

Transaction turbulence occurs when obstacles on your Web site or deficiencies in your e-commerce platform hinder or derail an online transaction. Eliminating transaction turbulence means optimizing your Web site for impact, performance and usability — MORE

NETWORK LOCKDOWN

A multitiered approach to security is far more effective. If one of your defenses falls, it's good to have some backup defenses that can halt, or at least slow, the activities of a malicious hacker — MORE

HOW TO GET RID OF SPAM

The cutie incident represented a setback in my war against spam, or junk e-mail. I used to get hundreds of these things a day, and some months ago, I vowed to rid my in box permanently of every last one — MORE

PR PREPAREDNESS: MAKING IT PUBLIC IF YOU'VE BEEN HACKED

No company wants its site to be hacked. But despite firewalls, encryption techniques, and your own best efforts, it could still happen to you. And if it does, you'll need to be prepared to communicate to the public — MORE

AVOID IDENTITY THEFT

From the Identity Theft Resource Center comes these tips on things you can do to lessen your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft — MORE

WEB ARBITRATION BIASED: STUDY

The 18-month-old worldwide system for deciding who owns Web addresses is biased in favour of trademark owners because they are flocking to arbitration providers whose records favour complainants — MORE

MASS WEB BANKING HACK PROBED

The FBI is investigating a June computer intrusion into a web banking company that may have compromised customer accounts at hundreds of U.S. financial institutions — MORE

NET PRIVACY NOT GUARANTEED

The problem is that in exchange for convenience, these companies can gather detailed information about members. And there's nothing in the law protecting consumers from abuse of this data except the companies' promises — MORE

INTERNET SECURITY STILL A CONCERN

When it comes to online security, the Internet still has an image problem. Eighty-six percent of U.S. adults say they are very concerned about the security of online bank and brokerage transactions, according to a study released by Gartner — MORE

BANKS HOLD THE KEY TO ONLINE TRUST

A number of companies have made bids to become wardens of personal information online, but research from Jupiter Media Metrix found consumers may be unlikely to trust anyone but the offline brands they already trust -- namely, their banks — MORE

COMPANIES AT RISK OVER PROLIFERATION OF WEB BUGS

The use of Web bugs to collect data on visitors to Internet sites has rocketed 488 percent in the past three years, and their infestation may make privacy-sensitive site visitors wary of the companies that use them — MORE

WHY THE NEW ECONOMY LIVES

A new report from the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas says that despite the meltdown in the dot com world and the ongoing shakeout involving many e-marketplaces, B2B e-commerce is fundamentally sound and continues to drive so-called new economy — MORE

HOW IS LIBEL DIFFERENT IN CYBERSPACE?

What happens when arguably libelous material is not re-published by a talebearer in a newspaper or magazine on terra firma but is "re-posted" in an Internet news group or bulletin board -- an interactive environment that tends to be chock full of re-postings, musings and hyperbolic statements — MORE

SMALL BUSINESS EMBRACES NET, SHUNS E-COMMERCE

Small businesses are moving quickly to establish their own home pages, with 2 million small firms maintaining their own Web sites, but when it comes to e-commerce, small business actions have not lived up to their expectations — MORE

LONG ARM OF THE LAW NEEDS NEW GUIDELINES FOR THE INTERNET

Since Web sites are typically accessible worldwide, the prospect that a site owner might be hauled into a courtroom in a far-off jurisdiction is much more than merely academic -- in an on-line environment that provides instant global access, it is a very real possibility — MORE

THE SKINNY ON INSTANT MESSAGING

Instant messaging has been one Internet application that has been almost entirely a domain of the teenage population, but some of the recent research on the topic has shown interest in instant messaging not only by adults, but interest in instant messaging as a business application — MORE

NO LOYALTY IN GERMAN E-COMMERCE

There is no such thing as loyalty in the German e-commerce market, says a report just published. Users will quite happily change e-tail sites, or even move back to offline retailers, if the price is right — MORE

FINANCIAL LOSSES DUE TO INTERNET INTRUSIONS, TRADE SECRET THEFT AND OTHER CYBER CRIMES SOAR

The findings of the "2001 Computer Crime and Security Survey" confirm that the threat from computer crime and other information security breaches continues unabated and that the financial toll is mounting — MORE

EUROPE'S E-COMMERCE PROFITS UP FOR GRABS

The European online retail market is expected to grow to 152 billion Euros in 2006, and retailers must focus on capturing the 103 billion Euros in potential gross profit generated over the next six years by targeting ripe categories and countries, according to Forrester Research — MORE

THERE'S A COOKIE MONSTER LURKING IN YOUR COMPUTER

If you surf the Web without taking precautions, people out there will know your secrets. In fact, many companies exist for the sole purpose of collecting personal information to market to advertisers and retailers — MORE

IT MANAGERS STILL OVERESTIMATE SECURITY

Network security is being overestimated by IT managers because they are failing to manage protective software properly, according to a security expert — MORE

U.S. E-COMMERCE KICKS OFF SUMMER WITH A RESOUNDING "THUD"

Total spending on online sales decreased from $3.9 billion in May to $3.2 billion in June, according to the NRF/Forrester Online Retail Index — MORE

POLICE URGED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF ELECTRONIC CRIME

Police commissioners in Australia have been told of the need for the country's law enforcement agencies to enhance their capacity to detect electronic crime — MORE

WARNING TO CANADIANS ABOUT MISLEADING MAILINGS FOR INTERNET DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATIONS

The Competition Bureau issued a warning today to Canadian consumers and businesses that own Internet domain names to take caution before paying what appear to be invoices from the "Internet Registry of Canada" for the registration or re-registration of their domain names — MORE

CONSIDERING SECURITY AND CONTROL

The complexity of modern enterprises, their reliance on technology and the heightened interconnectivity among organizations create widespread opportunities for theft, fraud and other forms of exploitation by offenders both outside and inside an organization — MORE

EUROPEANS SLOW TO MOVE SHOPPING ONLINE

Almost half of Western Europeans have Internet access, but only one in five bought anything online in the past six months, according to a survey of 12,500 European consumers — MORE

CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR CONTINUES TO MYSTIFY SOME BUSINESSES

Companies considering viral marketing and customer satisfaction when identifying loyal customers can reduce customer acquisition costs by 27 percent and increase average order sizes by up to 60 percent, according to Jupiter Media Metrix. But they don't seem to be doing it — MORE

INTERNET TOO COMPLEX TO SECURE, SAYS EXECUTIVE

Despite there being more computer security companies and software than at any other time, viruses, worms, Web page defacements and other security incidents are seemingly happening more often than ever before — MORE

E-PRIVACY COMPLAINTS SOAR

Nearly three-quarters of all adults in Britain are worried about the amount of personal details being stored electronically by companies and organizations, according to the data protection watchdog — MORE

ANALYSIS: INSIDERS A MAJOR SECURITY THREAT

Experts in criminal psychology say the onus is often on managers to take action to prevent current and former employees from lashing out in the form of cybercrime — MORE

NET USERS SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY FROM ONLINE SITES

U.S. online users view the Internet as a tool for information instead of shopping and trading stocks and they want more of a say in their cyber-future, the Markle Foundation said in a study released Tuesday — MORE

PAINTING SOME PICTURES OF THE ONLINE SHOPPER

For Internet retailers trying to understand why some consumers eagerly shop online, while others rarely click the "buy" button, a new study aims to offer insight into the attitudes underlying their behavior — MORE

LILLY RELEASES EMAIL ADDRESSES OF 600 PROZAC PATIENTS

New fears about the online security of private information were stirred Thursday when Eli Lilly and Co. said it had inadvertently released over the Internet the e-mail addresses of more than 600 people on Prozac — MORE

OF HACKERS, SPIES AND E-TERRORISTS

Attacks by the online bad guys -- hackers, spies and e-terrorists -- are helping to fuel a market for data and network encryption that could reach nearly half a billion dollars by 2007, according to a new industry report — MORE

HOW AND WHEN TO USE AN IT SECURITY CONSULTANT

According to Eran Feigenbaum, senior manager in the security integration practice with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, there are many things to consider when investigating and selecting a security consultant for your project — MORE

COMPUTER SECURITY RISK FROM "LIFESTYLE" PASSWORDS

Millions of office workers are too obvious when it comes to choosing their computer password. According to a new survey, 47% choose their own name or nickname, while 32% go for their beloved football team or favourite celebrities — MORE

ABANDONED SHOPPING CARTS: ENIGMA OR SLOPPY E-COMMERCE?

Statistics indicate that more than 60 percent of online shoppers abscond before completing an online transaction. Some sites report a 90 percent consumer etherization rate after a product has been selected for purchase. What's going on? — MORE

E-COMMERCE REPORT FINDS CANADIAN SMALL BUSINESSES FALLING 'WELL BEHIND' U.S. COUNTERPARTS

A report released by the Canadian e-Business Opportunities Roundtable revealed that while Canada has closed in on the U.S. in some areas of e-business, the gap remains substantial — MORE

BUSINESS SUCCESS OR FAILURE - A Primer for Your Chief Privacy Officer

Combine the unwillingness to invest in consumers' privacy with Canada's new Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Bill C6) that rolled-out in January, and businesses of all shapes and sizes are in for a rough ride. However, most of these problems can be avoided by taking some simple and painless steps now — MORE

AN OPEN DOOR TO THE E-MAILROOM

The e-mail system at one of the nation's leading money managers operated on the Internet for months with little security, giving outsiders access to messages containing confidential financial data, passwords and employees' personal information — MORE

LESS PRIVACY FOR DIGITAL DATA

Computers and the Internet have vastly extended the government's ability to collect and analyze personal information and have outpaced privacy protections in U.S. federal law, said James Dempsey, deputy director for the Center for Democracy and Technology — MORE

DO YOU NEED A CPO?

To help them stay ahead of the privacy protection curve, about a hundred companies (mainly ISPs, but also some of the Fortune 500), have hired a chief privacy officer, or CPO. It's the CPO's job to take whatever action is needed to keep the company out of legal and public relations hot water — MORE

INTERNET PRIVACY RULES NOT FOLLOWED BY U.S. GOVERNMENT

The U.S. government is doing an inadequate job of complying with its own Internet privacy rules, according to a report Congress released Friday — MORE

BEWARE THE SECURITY ENEMY WITHIN

Why is it that, when four out of five IT-related crimes are committed from within an organization, most companies still believe that the only threat comes from faceless hackers and virus writers? External threats should be taken seriously, and protection put in place, but nobody knows your security loopholes better than your employees — MORE

PRIVACY IS PROVING GOOD FOR BUSINESS

"You shouldn't be protecting privacy because you have to, you should be doing it because it's good for your own business venture. In my view, privacy will be the next business imperative, and it will distinguish what I call the old-world thinkers and the new-world thinkers," said Ann Cavoukian, the privacy and information commissioner of Ontario — MORE

HACKERS HIT 20% OF JAPANESE FIRMS

About 20 percent of universities, companies and municipal governments have had their computer systems illegally accessed during the past year, but just 5.3 percent of them alerted police, according to a survey released Thursday by the National Police Agency of Japan — MORE

ADVOCACY GROUP PROTESTS MACY'S PRIVACY POLICY

A civil liberties group raised picket signs in front of Macy's San Francisco store Tuesday in complaint of the retailer's online and offline privacy practices — MORE

AUDITORS FIND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WEB SITES IN VIOLATION OF PRIVACY RULES

One in four Web sites run by the Defense Department have no privacy statement posted, according to an oversight report released yesterday. An even larger number collect information about the public despite a White House directive barring the practice — MORE

PERSONAL DATA EXPOSED ON LUCENT SITE

Lucent Technologies Canada got caught with its pants down yesterday after a visitor to the company's corporate Web site stumbled on to the personal files of hundreds of customers — MORE

COMPANIES TURNING TO CONSULTANTS TO EASE PRIVACY CONCERNS

Growing corporate privacy concerns have spawned a cottage industry of consultants, accountants, public relations experts and law firms. Among the Big Five accounting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte & Touche have launched specialized units that sell comprehensive privacy audits to Fortune 500 companies — MORE

U.S. IN QUANDARY OVER CYBERCRIME ISSUES

A heated battle is brewing on Capitol Hill, where businesses want Congress to take action against cybercrime while privacy advocates want to ensure the privacy rights of Net users — MORE

MARKETERS SEE PROMISE IN WIRELESS

There is tremendous buzz in the marketing industry regarding the burgeoning wireless medium and its promise as a new marketing channel. Forrester predicts that consumer spending via mobile devices will reach $3.8 billion by 2003 — MORE

NEW ALLIANCE HOPES TO BOLSTER ONLINE PRIVACY

Seven of the largest online advertising providers hope their new alliance to provide transparent consumer privacy protection will stem federal authorities from imposing rigid and expensive regulations — MORE

PRIVACY LAW NEEDS OPEN DISCLOSURE

In light of the importance of the privacy commissioner's decisions, it comes as a shock to learn that Mr. Radwanski's current policy is to keep his decisions and interpretations secret — MORE

PRIVACY ADVOCATES QUESTION COOKIE CLAMPDOWN

Fresh off lobbying the U.S. Congress to let Internet and technology companies handle consumer protection, Microsoft says its new Explorer browser gives consumers choices on "cookies," or the electronic file records of a user's preferences and personal data — MORE

ONLINE FRAUD: STILL AN UPHILL BATTLE

The GAO report fueled the lack of trust of online transactions felt by an already skeptical consumer base. The report also further tarnished the image of an e-commerce industry that has suffered an inordinate number of closings and unprecedented industrial financial fallout — MORE

SOMEBODY'S WATCHING YOU: THE WEB'S SECRET POLICE

Because software piracy and online fraud can cost companies millions in profits and lost goodwill -- and because government agencies do not have the resources to keep pace with cybercriminals -- many high-tech companies have formed their own investigative units to catch Internet con artists — MORE

FBI CRACKS DOWN ON INTERNET FRAUD

A major crackdown on Web-based fraud has broken up pyramid schemes, phony auctions and other Internet scams that had cheated 56,000 people out of more than $117-million (U.S.), law enforcers in the United States say — MORE

HACKERS LAY SIEGE TO U.S. GOVERNMENT COMPUTER-SECURITY SITE

Hackers attacked the Web site of a Pentagon-funded computer-security group that warns government agencies about computer attacks and viruses, clogging the site for about 30 hours, group officials said Wednesday — MORE

NIPC NOT LIVING UP TO ITS MISSION --YET

The National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) frequently doesn't issue security alerts until cyberattacks are well under way, mainly because it lacks the staff and strategic analysis needed to fully do its job, according to a new US government report — MORE

PENTAGON SAYS IT IS UNDER DAILY COMPUTER ATTACK

Unidentified hackers have been trying to break into Defence Department computer networks in a constant push to disrupt US military forces, the Pentagon's chief information officer said on Thursday — MORE

TROJAN HORSE DEFRAUDS ONLINE SHOPPERS

A Trojan horse appears to be collecting data from users of an online payment system and could have already removed money from up to 300 accounts, according to security software firm Kaspersky Labs — MORE

ANALYSTS: ANY WEB SITE CAN BE A HACKING TARGET

Sites often get hacked simply because they present an opportunity for vandalism and not because they espouse any ideology or cause that an attacker may oppose, said Ira Winkler, president of the Internet Security Advisors Group in Severna Park, Md., and author of Corporate Espionage — MORE

PENTAGON BAFFLED BY HACKER FILE THEFTS

A hacking group, most likely Russian-based, has stolen thousands of files in consistent attacks over the past three years from the Pentagon and other government agencies, according to an article written by a National Security Agency (NSA) consultant — MORE

SENATOR COMPARES CYBER WAR TO NUCLEAR ATTACK

TEXT-HEU.S. Senator Robert Bennett, a longtime proponent of electronic security, said on Monday that cyber attacks from an enemy country could cause as much disruption as a nuclear missile detonating over an American cityRE — MORE

PASSWORD GLITCH EXPOSES DSL SUBSCRIBERS

Cayman Systems confirmed Wednesday that a potentially serious security vulnerability exists in the DSL equipment it supplies to many leading providers, including SBC Communication's numerous subsidiaries such as Pacific Bell and Southwestern Bell — MORE

HARDLY ANY SECURITY - A CONCERN FOR INDIAN SITES

The hacking of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs website and the Infosys banking site, within a space of few hours on Monday, exposed the vulnerability and lack of awareness among the Indian organizations about the importance of a compact security system — MORE

CHINA DECLARES VICTORY IN CYBERWAR

After a week-long campaign in the trenches of cyberspace, Chinese hackers Wednesday declared victory in their unofficial war with the United States and retired from the virtual field of battle — MORE

NET PRIVACY FEARS ARISE ANEW

Internet users who value their privacy would do well to watch the privacy policies of Web sites they frequent. It's getting harder to keep tabs on such policies, as many Web sites alter them to reflect a changing legal landscape and, in some cases, to give more leeway on how customer data is used. — MORE

PRIVACY PLANNING UNDERWAY IN ALL SECTORS - BUT MANY COMPANIES LAG BEHIND

About one-third of all organizations have implemented a formal privacy plan, according to the 12th annual Information Systems and E-Business Spending study conducted by Computer Economics — MORE

BANKS FAIL CYBER-ATTACK TEST

Out of three million Web sites tested worldwide, 80 percent have been given the thumbs down when it comes to security vulnerability, exposing a large number of organizations and governments to hackers, criminals and vandals — MORE

E-COMMERCE INSECURITY

Thieves can go to jail for switching price tags and attempting to buy merchandise at the lower price in a brick-and-mortar store. Yet online merchants get hit with price switching scams by e-shoplifters all the time, and rarely are thieves detected or caught — MORE

IS INTERNET PRIVACY AN OXYMORON?

Think there's such a thing as Internet privacy? Think again. Outgoing Yahoo! chief executive officer Tim Koogle might not have thought that Internet privacy was a contradiction in terms. But that was before he was "outed" by The Washington Post for using a screen name to participate in auctions -- on eBay. — MORE

THE AFTERMATH OF FRAUD

When fraud occurs, don't just write it off and consider it a cost of doing business. You must review the fraudulent order internally and determine your plan of action. — MORE

U.S., 12 OTHER COUNTRIES UNITE TO COMBAT ONLINE FRAUD

Faced with the borderless nature of the Internet -- the ability to commit fraud in one country against a victim in another -- the United States and 12 other countries Tuesday unveiled plans to gather and share cross-border e-commerce complaints through a new site — MORE

NEW NET SECURITY ALLIANCE TO GIVE EARLY THREAT WARNINGS

With the formation of a new Internet security association, companies around the world will now be able to pay for real-time access to top-level government information about cyber threats from hackers and other forms of computer sabotage — MORE

INTERNET PRIVACY: A MATTER OF COMPETITION?

Respecting privacy may simply be good business for Internet companies seeking an edge, industry leaders claim. Consumers who surf (and spend) where they feel safest may be more effective at changing site policies than any legislation — MORE

U.S. GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO SET PRIVACY EXAMPLE, SAYS SENATOR

Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) believes one of the Bush administration's top priorities should be addressing the Clinton administration's failure to make the government comply with its own privacy policy — MORE

BRIDGING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVIDE

Poor customer service online may not just keep consumers from returning to your site, it could hurt your offline sales as well. A recent study revealed that 70 percent of the respondents plan to spend less money at their retailer's brick-and-mortar store if they were dissatisfied with the shopping experience at the merchant's Website — MORE

ARE BUSINESSES WILLING TO DISCLOSE KEY SECURITY MEASURES TO THE FEDS?

Comparing the security of critical infrastructure to Y2K preparedness, a key political figure is calling for new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations to force publicly traded companies to disclose their infosecurity measures — MORE

NEW VULNERABILITY DATABASE LAUNCHED

Officially launched today by Security Global Net, the SecurityTracker web site aims to provide IT administrators and managers with a continually updated vulnerability database organized into easily searchable fields — MORE

MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR NET BANKING FRAUD UNCOVERED

An Internet fraud scheme involving fake bank guarantees worth 2.7 billion pounds (US$3.9 billion) has been uncovered by the International Chamber of Commerce — MORE

RESEACHERS PREDICT VIRUS AVALANCHE

Virus attacks may treble by the end of the year according to research from UK antivirus firm MessageLabs, which suggests that government departments as well as companies will collapse under the weight of malicious attachments and executables — MORE

PEOPLEFIRST.COM PROMOTES PRIVACY WITH FIRST ANNUAL PRIVACY WEEK

PeopleFirst.com, the largest online automotive lender in the U.S., will be conducting is first annual Privacy Week to demonstrate that privacy is a priority for all company employees — MORE

DESPITE CONSUMER CONFIDENCE, SECURITY ISSUES REMAIN

According to one network security expert, senior management executives at major financial and e-commerce organizations are chiefly to blame for the many security flaws found in today's Web sites — MORE

ONE IN THREE UK COMPANIES HAVE BEEN HACKED

A survey of IT professionals indicates that one in three UK businesses has been the victim of a major security break in. Almost half of those who took part in the poll said that the future of their organization could be ruined by a serious hacker attack — MORE

SPECIAL REPORT: THE INTERNET'S ABSOLUTE WORST THREAT

The fate of the Internet as a global commercial force may hang less on the rise or fall of any particular dot-com than it does on the persistent threat that hackers, crackers, bugs and worms could one day cause the entire structure to explode like a dying star — MORE

HACKERS ACCESSED U.S. FEDERAL COMPUTERS

At least 155 federal computers systems - some with sensitive research information or personal data on Americans - were temporarily taken over by hackers last year, according to a review that found widespread lax computer security — MORE

AMERICANS FEAR INTERNET CRIME MORE THAN "BIG BROTHER"

Many Americans don't trust government agencies, but apparently have no qualms about law enforcement -- particularly the FBI -- intercepting the e-mail of suspected criminals, according to a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project — MORE

REPORT: NEXT E-COMMERCE CRIME WAVE COULD IMPACT MILLIONS

A single act of "economic mass victimization" is likely to hit a broad spectrum of e-commerce customers in the next two years, according to a report released Friday by Gartner — MORE

E-BUSINESS WEBCAST MIRRORS FOCUS OF E-COMMERCEALERT.COM

An "E-Business Webcast" sponsored by WebTrust was held on March 30, 2001. The core topic was a "Discussion on the issues of privacy and security" — MORE

OPINION SPLIT ON WEB PRIVACY

More than half of Americans would back efforts by law enforcement authorities to snoop through suspects' e-mail, possibly because of the public's growing concern about child pornography, fraud and other crimes online, according to a new study — MORE

HACK ATTACK EXPOSES WEB SHOPPER CREDIT CARD DATA

Internet book vendor Bibliofind.com reportedly said that a four-month long security breach on its computer servers has exposed customer credit card information — MORE

E-FRAUD: THE DEVIL INSIDE

Executives from Canada's largest companies need to recognize the enemy within, according to a global e-fraud survey released today by KPMG LLP. While there's no denying the existence of external dangers, it is well documented that the greatest risk is from internal perpetrators — MORE

HACKERS: CORPORATE SECURITY STINKS!

Companies are paying more attention to safeguarding their digital assets, but the overall state of corporate data security is still poor, said hackers and security experts attending the CanSecWest conference — MORE

DOUBLECLICK TAPPED BY HACKERS

Online advertising giant DoubleClick is getting some unwelcome exposure by a French hacker group, which claims it found a 2-year-old backdoor program on the company's Microsoft IIS servers — MORE

STATS ON NET USE CONFIRM SURF'S UP

The survey results of Internet use, made public yesterday by Statistics Canada, underscore the reality that the Internet has become a part of the lives of most Canadians, with 13 million or 53 per cent of those age 15 or over having traveled on the information highway over the past year — MORE

CANADIANS LACK CONFIDENCE IN WAR ON CYBER CRIME

E-commerce outfits, take heed: Your Web site's bells and whistles might attract eyeballs but according to a new poll, consumers have little confidence in businesses' ability to shield them from cyber crime — MORE

WEB SHOPPERS WARY, STATSCAN STUDY FINDS

Canadians love to window shop on the Internet, but so far that hasn't translated into a sales bonanza for online retailers, a Statistics Canada survey has found — MORE

CORPORATE SITES OFTEN FAIL AT JUST BASICS, STUDY SAYS

A new study indicates that corporate Web sites often fail at what might seem most important: getting out the corporate message. The study analyzed 10 Web sites intended to represent a broad range of organizations. It found that in many cases, reporters could not use the sites to get information as basic as a company's phone number — MORE

LACK OF PRIVACY, PORTFOLIO TRACKING SCORE HIGH IN NEW BANKWORKS STUDY

The Internet may be emerging as a catalyst in the realignment of the financial industry however privacy remains a concern even among Web-savvy users, results of a study released this week reveal — MORE

CHIEF PRIVACY OFFICERS: FORCES? OR FIGUREHEADS?

The sudden interest in appointing chief privacy officers (CPO) stems as much from fear as it does from the desire to protect customers. The CPO movement is young: About 50 to 75 companies have created such positions in the past several months — MORE

ADVISOR WARNS AGAINS CYBERTERRORISM

The U.S. government must work more closely with private companies to prevent cyberterrorist attacks that threaten to disrupt the nation's economy, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said — MORE

POLICE BUST LARGEST-EVER INTERNET ID THEFT

A restaurant worker allegedly masterminded the largest theft of identities in Internet history and is suspected of stealing millions of dollars from celebrities, billionaires and executives — MORE

PRIVACY POLICIES CRITICAL TO ONLINE CONSUMER TRUST

Canadian Internet users are willing to share personal information, but their degree of willingness is dependent on the organization in question and on how clearly the reasons for collection are communicated, according to a jointly released study by Columbus Group and Ipsos-Reid — MORE

"HANDHELD HACKERS" CRACKED IRS TAX RETURNS IN 2000: GAO

Hackers broke into the Internal Revenue Service's computer system last year using a handheld wireless device and gained access to Social Security numbers and other sensitive information on electronically filed tax returns — MORE

LAUNCH OF 24 HOUR E-SECURITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITY

FSC Internet Corp. has announced the general availability of its 24 hour a day e-Security Emergency Response services for corporate and institutional clients — MORE

MOST INTERNET USERS WARY OF E-COMMERCE: STUDY

A UCLA study last fall found that nearly two-thirds of Internet users think people who venture online put their privacy at risk. The fear is not just of identity theft, but also of third-party Internet "cookie" files — MORE

HEAR NO E-SHOPPERS, SEE NO E-SHOPPERS

After surviving the dot-com shakeout and now a slowing economy, many e-tailers are too distracted to remember one of the essentials of running a smart business: Listen to the customer — MORE

40% OF B2B MARKETPLACE USERS CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY OF FINANCIAL DATA

Security is one of the most crucial factors in offline business and its quickly becoming just as important within B2B marketplaces, a new study from Zona Research shows — MORE

AUSSIE CONSUMER SITES FOUND WANTING

A sweep of Internet sites by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has found only three in ten e-tailers allow for the return, exchange and refund of goods. Even fewer sites disclosed their privacy policies — MORE

'INSURING' AGAINST HACKER ATTACKS

Chubb Insurance Company of Canada has launched CyberSecurity for financial institutions, an insurance policy specifically designed to help protect financial institutions against losses resulting from Internet-related security breaches — MORE

FORRESTER ISSUES PRIVACY STORM WARNING

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based research firm said companies need to recognize that privacy is a core business issue. They must reassess their policies and align them with CRM strategies in order to stem the tide of growing consumer fears about how their personal information is being used — MORE

SURVEY: COSTS OF COMPUTER SECURITY BREACHES SOAR

The reported cost of computer security breaches at U.S. businesses and government organizations is rising dramatically as their frequency increases, a new survey released Monday suggests — MORE

E-COMMERCE GIANTS LAUNCH ANTI-FRAUD SITE

The Worldwide E-Commerce Fraud Prevention Network, whose members include Amazon.com, American Express, Buy.com and Expedia.com, announced the launch of MerchantFraudSquad.com, a new site dedicated to combating online fraud — MORE

LARGE CRIMINAL HACKER ATTACK ON WINDOWS NT COMMERCE SITES

In the largest criminal Internet attack to date, a group of Eastern European hackers has spent a year systematically exploiting known Windows NT vulnerabilities to steal customer data — MORE

THE PRIVACY ARMS RACE

Marketers have edged ahead in the arms race with consumers over cyberspace privacy as a new generation of monitoring software gives business the ability to rapidly assemble detailed profiles of on-line behaviour — MORE

PRICE TAG HACK HITS E-TAILERS

Online retailers are experiencing yet another e-rip-off: electronic price tag alteration. An estimated one-third of all shopping cart applications at Internet retailing sites have software holes that make them vulnerable to the price switching scam — MORE

PRIVATIPS TURNS PRIVACY NEWS INTO GUIDANCE

Announcing PrivaTips, a free Privacy Strategy Ezine. Each monthly issue highlights important areas of research and actvity — MORE

U.S. ONLINE PRIVACY LAWS MAY BE INEVITABLE

Harris Interactive plans to release a study this month revealing what most people already know: Americans don't trust major corporations, or the government, to protect personal information. In the survey, about 40 percent of 3,113 adults said they had never purchased products or services online, and nagging doubts over Internet privacy and security topped their list of worries — MORE

HACK ATTACK EXPOSES WEB SHOPPER CREDIT CARD DATA

Internet book vendor Bibliofind.com reportedly said Monday that a four-month long security breach on its computer servers has exposed customer credit card information — MORE

HACKER NABS TOP SECRET U.S. SPACE CODES

An unidentified computer hacker has got hold of top secret US computer system codes for guiding spaceships, rockets and satellites, a lawyer in Sweden said — MORE

CANADIAN INTERNET USERS FIND PRIVACY BREACHED ON-LINE

About one in seven Canadian Internet users report that their privacy was breached on-line, a survey has found. The findings come as companies doing business on the Web struggle to gain consumer trust, the biggest challenge in e-commerce — MORE

ALLIANCE OFFERS INTERNET PRIVACY ASSURANCE CAMPAIGN

As U.S. lawmakers study legislation to protect consumer data on the Internet, a group of corporate executives is launching a $30 million to $40 million advertising campaign to show people how to protect their personal information onlin — MORE

BOOT CAMP TO GIVE ENTREPRENEURS CAPITAL RAISING SKILLS

In response to market trends, VentureDrive, Canada's largest angel network, will be holding an intensive 2-day boot camp in Toronto for entrepreneurs going from concept to money. The date of the event is March 21- 22, 2001 — MORE

MULTIPLE COMPANIES FEND OFF VULNERABILITY CLAIMS

Five major companies were engaged in heavy spin control last week following the discovery of security breaches in their Web sites. While observers say each of the incidents constituted serious security and/or privacy leaks, the companies downplayed their severity — MORE

INTERNET LEADERS URGE CANADIANS TO ACCELERATE E-BUSINESS INITIATIVES

Canadian businesses have made impressive gains in e-business but have not moved far enough to capitalize on global Internet opportunities, says a report of a roundtable group of industry leaders — MORE

INTERNET COMPANY DROPS PLAN TO SELL DATA

A major Internet filtering company will stop collecting and selling the Web habits of millions of schoolchildren who use its product after privacy groups howled and the Defense Department had second thoughts, the company disclosed Thursday — MORE

CANADA'S BILL C-6: PREPARE TO WALK THROUGH A MINE FIELD

In response to privacy concerns, Canada will phase in Bill C-6 -- the Personal Information Protection and Electronics Document Act -- to force all business to act more responsibly with personal information collected online and offline. While the legislation is a step forward, its complexity may be its undoing — MORE

THE PRETEND PRIVACY WATCHDOG

If your company contributes to the TRUSTe fund, do reconsider. We've yet to see any evidence that consumers are more willing to buy from a TRUSTe site than any other, and it's reasonable to speculate that this seal company will fall by the wayside in a few years or so — MORE

WOMEN QUICKLY BECOMING LARGE PRESENCE ONLINE

Canadian women, especially those ages 18 to 34, play an increasingly larger role on the Internet, according to a new study of more than 2,000 online users. "Gone are the days when men, particularly young men, were the most sophisticated Internet users and women were slotted as beginners or newbies" — MORE

SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE ON PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY ONLINE

If you're on the Internet, and if you're not being vigilant, it is possible for governments and companies to compile all sorts of information about you and your family. But if you're interested in making an effort to preserve your privacy online, there are several things you can do — MORE

FTC INTRODUCES CONSUMER FRAUD AND IDENTITY THEFT WEB SITE

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced the creation of a Web site containing statistics about consumer fraud and identity theft from its database of more than 300,000 consumer complaints — MORE

CIVIL LIBERTIES, CONSUMER GROUPS PROPOSE PRIVACY FRAMEWORK

A coalition of civil liberties, labor and consumer rights groupsMonday published a proposed "framework" for privacy protection legislation, encouraging U.S. national lawmakers to adopt a stronger stance on consumer protection on the Internet — MORE

TAX PREP SITE TEMPORARILY EXPOSES CLIENTS' RETURN INFO

Tax preparation Web site e1040.com was shut down this week after its encryption software was accidentally switched off, leaving customers' Social Security numbers and passwords exposed on the Internet — MORE

NET IDENTITY THEFT: NOT ONLY CONSUMERS ARE WORRIED

Cybercrime and Internet privacy are now top-of-mind for chief information officers. According to a recent survey, nearly two-thirds said they worry about hackers stealing their personal identity — MORE

REPORT: WIRED KIDS READY TO LEAK PRIVATE INFO

Seventy-five percent of children are willing to disclose private family information online in exchange for goods and services, according to a new report released by eMarketer — MORE

SITES STILL VULNERABLE TO BUG IN IBM SOFTWARE

An unpatched security hole in online storefront software from IBM is potentially exposing scores of high-profile ecommerce sites to attacks from outsiders — MORE

EXPERTS WARN OF SPREADING EMAIL "WIRETAPS"

On Monday, a privacy group demonstrated how this method of e-mail eavesdropping works on the most popular programs — MORE

HACKERS STEAL DATA ON WORLD LEADERS

Computer hackers obtained credit card details and other personal information for hundreds of attendees of World Economic Forum meetings, which annually draw such notables as Madeleine Albright, Bill Gates and Yasser Arafat — MORE

ACTIVISTS SAY NORTEL SOFTWARE COULD ABUSE PRIVACY

Just one day after the reintroduction of an Internet privacy bill in the U.S. Senate, Nortel Networks drew fire from privacy advocates for the tracking capabilities built into its Personal Internet product portfolio — MORE

CONSUMER PRIVACY THREATENED ON THE NET

The main findings of the study reveal that existing measures put in place by various governments to protect people's privacy is not adequate. Consumers International's research clearly shows that many European and American Internet sites aimed at consumers fall woefully short of international standards on data protection — MORE

FLAW FOUND IN CRITICAL INTERNET SOFTWARE

A high-risk flaw in what may be the Internet's most important software package could disrupt the operations of every company that maintains a website, a U.S. Defense Department-funded research center said — MORE

FRAUD, THE NET'S KILLER APP

Recently, a colleague and I were musing about things for which the Internet is really good -- viral marketing, research, shopping, and email to name a few. But I think we made one glaring omission -- fraud — MORE

PROFITS AND PRIVACY: HOW THE TWO CAN COEXIST ON THE WEB

Privacy - just dropping the word into a conversation sparks a spirited discussion. Even the 200-year-old practice of taking a national census has created consternation by asking people private details about their income, lifestyle, and household plumbing — MORE

CONSUMER GROUP: ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTIONS FALL SHORT

Despite growing concern on the part of Internet users and increased government regulation, many Web sites around the world still fall well short of providing minimal data privacy protections to consumers — MORE

GUARDING CONSUMER PRIVACY ISN'T JUST THE LAW -- IT COULD KEEP YOUR E-BUSINESS FROM CRUMBLING

Protecting privacy is now a priority for e-businesses, not only because they are now legally obliged to do so, but also because it has become a key concern for a growing number of consumers — MORE

MICROSOFT HACKED AGAIN?

Wednesday morning's domain name server problems at Microsoft Corp. could be the result of a break in, despite the company's claim it was an internal data center problem. If so, that would make it the second time in less than a year Microsoft's network has been compromised — MORE

ONLINE TRUST -- NOT IN SOUTH AFRICA

In the wake of the dot.correction and the struggling B2C market, the Knowledge Economy requires current consumer mistrust to be addressed. To this end the e-privacy survey released today in South Africa by PricewaterhouseCoopers reveals both South African and European concerns about online privacy — MORE

TRAVELOCITY ADMITS SECURITY LAPSE ON WEB SITE

Online travel agency Travelocity.com Inc. acknowledged Tuesday that personal information about some customers was read by some visitors to its Web site. The breach exposed the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of about 45,000 Travelocity customers — MORE

TIME HAS COME FOR U.S. PRIVACY LAW

Last week, the American Electronics Association reversed its position opposing legislation and called on the government to set rules on how companies collect, use, and disseminate consumer information on the Internet — MORE

CANADA'S PERSONAL INFORMATION ACT EXPLAINED

Canada's Privacy Commissioner has released a significant document titled "Your Privacy Responsibilities -- A guide for Businesses and Organizations to Canada's Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act" — MORE

TODAY, MORE THAN EVER, WE MUST THINK ABOUT SECURITY

According to the ICSA, insiders cause 60 percent of computer abuse. Eighty-five percent of computer break-ins occur internally, and insiders remain the most serious threat to your intellectual property — MORE

GREATER PRIVACY BOOSTS ON-LINE SHOPPING: POLL

The more control Internet users have over their personal information when buying a book or paying a bill on-line, the more willing they are to keep using Internet services, a study on Internet privacy has found — MORE

CANADIANS STILL NOT SOLD ON NET PRIVACY POLICIES

Canadian consumers want companies they do business with on the Internet to pay more attention to their privacy concerns, a new survey released yesterday suggests — MORE

CONFIDENTIALITY FEARS SWAMPING PRIVACY WATCHDOG

Canada's privacy watchdog is being swamped with calls and has already received four formal requests for investigation just two weeks after new federal privacy legislation came into force — MORE

WORLD-WIDE HACKER REPORT

A collection of recent news items on hackers and global information security concerns — MORE

INSURANCE, OVERSIGHT URGED TO FIGHT INTERNET FRAUD

A global consumer protection group modeled after the World Trade Organization and automatic insurance for any Web transaction are among proposals to protect you from being scammed in cyberspace — MORE

CANADA'S PRIVACY LAW IMPACTS FOREIGN FIRMS

A tough new Canadian law regarding online privacy enacted in January will impact American and foreign firms doing business in Canada — MORE

NEW U.S. CONGRESS TO MAKE PRIVACY TOP ISSUE

Privacy is shaping up to be a top issue of the 107th Congress, which convened for the first time last week. But unlike the last Congress, insiders predict that privacy legislation would likely be passed this session — MORE

U.S. TREASURY TESTS INTERNET-BASED BUSINESS PAYMENT SYSTEM

The U.S. Treasury Department announced Tuesday that it was testing an Internet-based system for businesses to pay their federal taxes online — MORE

CANADIAN FIRMS ILL-PREPARED FOR INTERNET WAVE

Canadian companies remain unprepared for the coming wave of Internet-based business transactions despite predictions that by 2005, nearly one-fifth of all business-to-business transactions will be conducted electronically — MORE

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR PRIVACY POLICY

With the likelihood of U.S. online privacy regulation looming large this year, smart businesses should move now to improve generic online privacy policies. Consider these tips from privacy policy pros — MORE

AT&T FLAW EXPOSED CUSTOMER DATA

A glitch in AT&T's Web site has exposed billing and account information for thousands of small businesses, MSNBC.com has learned. The flaw allowed AT&T small business customers to view other customers' account information — MORE

SHOP - BUT DON'T DROP

Technologies under development will make it possible to build a Website that helps consumers identify exactly what they want and helps merchants know in real time what's on the shelf and what isn't. Building such a site will take a lot of behind-the-scenes integration, but the payoff could be a lucrative boost in customer service and better inventory management — MORE

WEB USERS 'CLICKED OFF' TO ONLINE HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Just 24 percent purchased gifts online this year. More alarming, 22 percent of those who did their holiday shopping online in 1999 didn't bother with the online experience this year, according to a study released Sunday by the Pew Internet & American Life project — MORE

THE NEW UNTOUCHABLES: On the beat with the SEC's Internet fraud squad

While it's no secret that the Net's reach and get-rich-quick ethos has presented stock swindlers with a mammoth opportunity to perpetrate scams like these, what is far less known is exactly how the Feds have mobilized to fight them. — MORE

2001 FACES INTERNET HURDLES

As the Internet loses its new-car smell, governments in the United States and abroad are under increasing pressure to tackle the tough issues a wired world presents — MORE

ADDITIONAL NEWS ARTICLES IN 2000 ARCHIVE

E-Commerce Alerts are issued by Bennett Gold LLP, Chartered Accountants as situations develop. Bookmark this site and check back often.