CyberGuide
Security Seals
FROM: NOV-DEC 2006 ISSUE | BY ROBIN DAY
My daughter has twice been victimized by online scam artists. First she paid for merchandise which was never delivered, then an "authentic name brand" product turned out to be a cheap knock-off. By the time she realized she had been ripped off, the websites were shut down. This has led me to take another look at the value of Web seals, those privacy and security markers designed to increase consumer confidence online.
www.truste.org
With 10 years’ experience in website trust certification and customers like Intuit, IBM, Oracle, and eBay, TRUSTe is recognized as an industry leader in consumer privacy assurance.
www.bbbonline.org/privacy
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) only offers seals to businesses that have a favourable record with the bureau, have been in operation for more than a year, and have committed to high ethical standards and a dispute resolution process that includes the BBB.
www.verisign.com
Known as an enabler of online payment systems, Verisign also offers a widely recognized seal program with a high level of protection of confidential information.
www.privacy.gov.au/publications/seals.html
A joint project of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario and the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner of Australia, this study reviews the top three seals on the market (BBBOnLine, TRUSTe, and WebTrust).
The presence of a Web seal will not necessarily guarantee trouble-free online shopping, but will certainly reduce the risk of problems. Now I had better get off the computer — my youngest wants to do some shopping.
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Robin Day, MBA, CGA, teaches financial management at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He is also president of Virtual Information Technologies Inc.E-mail rday@virtualit.ca.