Electronic commerce

As businesses replace conventional paper-based business with standardised computer-based communications, the need arises to secure the transactions and establish means to authenticate and provide non-repudiation services for electronic transactions. In a very short period, the Internet has changed into an international electronic marketplace where all types of goods are being bought and sold.

The digital transactions should provide a way to securely:

order the goods
pay for the goods
deliver the goods, and in such a manner that the customer can get money back, if not satisfied

The universal acceptance of networks for transacting business requires security measures to ensure the privacy needed for commercial transactions in a global environment. The legal issues regarding electronic commerce are [OTA94]:

contractual writing requirements
legally binding signatures
use of electronic communications as evidence of a contract

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mtu@cs.hut.fi - 04 DEC 95