Introduction
In electronic commerce, security issues are becoming continually more prominent due to an increasing number of cyber threats and associated risks. In this sense, effective computer security is critical to ensure users’ privacy and data integrity. On the other hand, if protection measures are inadequate, organizations risk losing valuable information, becoming vulnerable to cyberattacks, and losing client trust. In summary, computer security is critical for every business organization due to its positive impact on risk mitigation.
Online Security Issues
In general, computer security refers to a large variety of instruments and policies to protect an organization’s software, hardware, and data. Schneider (2017) defines this concept as “The protection of assets from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction” (p. 425). It is critical to note that all these objectives are essential to an organization’s development and success, meaning that computer security plays a crucial role in electronic commerce. Hence, companies should invest in competent specialists and adequate software/hardware to mitigate the risks of cyber threats.
Consequently, there is a large list of relevant online security issues that should be taken into consideration. They can be classified as computer security and risk management. The former implies physical security (e.g., tangible protection of assets) and logical security (e.g., software and other non-physical types of protection) (Schneider, 2017). Risk management is a broad model that evaluates potential threats and finds an appropriate solution to prevent them. Depending on the probability and impact of risks, the framework proposes four primary approaches: control, prevention, ignoring, and insurance (Schneider, 2017). This method helps organizations assess potential threats and implement a suitable security scheme.
Main Elements of Computer Security
Consequently, it is essential to discuss the main elements of computer security to further understand its significance for organizations. There are three primary elements: integrity, secrecy, and necessity (Schneider, 2017). Each of these factors has a unique function, but all of them are critical to an organization’s success. Integrity ensures that people cannot modify data without authorization, secrecy prevents unauthorized data disclosure, and necessity mitigates data denials and delays (Schneider, 2017). Additionally, some authors emphasize extra elements, such as availability, authenticity, confidentiality, and utility (Chrisos, 2019). Although they might be slightly less significant for computer security than the main elements, it is still crucial to consider them in computer security.
Four Steps of Security Policy
Lastly, it is essential to analyze the process of security policy implementation. In general, security policy refers to a written standard that describes what assets should be protected and why (Schneider, 2017). There are four primary steps to help organizations implement effective security policies. First, it is critical to evaluate the assets and decide which of them require physical and logical protection. Next, organizations should determine who has access to these assets and stored data. The third step implies that organizations should prepare the necessary resources to implement the security policy. Lastly, it is critical to compose a written statement so that employees and users understand the scope of the implemented policy.
Conclusion
Computer security remains one of the most significant aspects of electronic commerce. It protects organizations’ assets, data, and overall integrity, allowing them to minimize potential risks and cyber threats. Hence, organizations should thoroughly apprehend the primary principles of computer security. It implies a decent understanding of its definition, main elements, functions, and security policy implementation process. If organizations follow these recommendations, they can significantly decrease the number of potential threats and improve their overall computer security.
References
Chrisos, M. (2019). Key elements of computer security you should know. Tech Funnel. Web.
Schneider, G. P. (2017). Electronic commerce (12th edition). Cengage Learning.