A review on a post on Legal from My E-commerce blog

According to the blog title identity theft: Cases on stolen laptops, hacking and lost from My E-commerce blog http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/seach/label/Legal laptop was stolen and it potential risk is the data could be used to apply loans or credit cards under false names. Hackers broke into the systems of an Ohio hospital and it may cause potential abuse of the data A laptop was stolen from a hospital office data in the hard disk may not be encrypted. A university's server was hacked into and data maybe manipulate.

From the post, blogger actually mention and focus on how safe of our data. it has be seen from the cases, that our data easier be stolen even in hospital and university. Some information in the hospital or university may be modify by those theft. And personal data may also expose to outsider. In my opinion information that giving to hospital, bank and also university is important to keep in secret. That also responsibility of those hospital, bank and university to keep information in proper way. Who know one day information in bank was stole from the bank because bank just simple place information in a hard disk and that hard disk being theft? How if all money in bank being transfer to other person because their get account password from the hard disk being theft? And it also potential risk that information is used to apply credit card.

And even thought myself also will create password on my laptop to prevent one day if my laptop being theft. This is to safeguard my personal information that I stored in the computer. Who know who will became second Edison Chan if computer being theft. That not joking, we really need to protect our information that stored in our personal computer.

Lastly, my comment is that very important to protect our information and those bank, hospital and university should stored and keep our data and information well.

E-GOVERNMENT IN MALAYSIA

e-Government (from electronic government, also known as e-gov, digital government, online government or in a certain context transformational government) refers to the use of internet technology as a platform for exchanging information, providing services and transacting with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.

The e-Government initiative was launched to lead the country into the Information Age. It will improve how the government operates internally, as well as how it delivers services to the people of Malaysia. It seeks to improve the convenience, accessibility and quality of interactions with citizens and businesses. At the same time, it will improve information flows and processes within government to improve the speed and quality of policy development, coordination and enforcement. This would enable the government to be more responsive to the needs of its citizens.

The e-Government provides services such as:
1. e-Filling (https://e.hasil.org.my/)
2. Renewing road tax (http://www.myeg.com.my/ or http://www.jpj.gov.my/)
3. Driving License Online (http://jpj.myeg.com.my/JPJSERVE/)
4. KWSP’s i-Akaun (http://www.kwsp.gov.my/index.php?ch=p2iakn&lang=en)
5. e-Perolehan (http://home.eperolehan.gov.my/en/default.aspx)

Citizen barriers toward adoption of e-Government service

Citizens expect and demand governmental services with a high degree of quality, quantity, and availability in a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, and year-round fashion. Success in delivering electronic services depends upon the capability and self-confidence of citizens in performing e-transactions, as well as their trust and confidence in the protection of their personal data within an open and accountable government. Citizens also face problems such as PC and internet connections cost, usage of PC for older citizens and availability of internet connections in rural area.

Government should make sure the decision and policy they made are keep pace with the technological change and progress in ICT and multimedia industries. E-Government needs marketing expertise in order to better promote awareness, encouragement and dissemination of information on the benefits that can be obtained by citizens and other users. Besides, the government can educate the future generations by introduce e-Government in education sector.

The vision of e-Government is a vision for government, businesses and citizenry working together for the benefit of Malaysia and its entire citizens. Therefore, all Malaysians should take responsibilities to promote e-Government including government employees.

Corporate blogging: A new marketing communication tool for companies

A business blog is an incredible online marketing tool that saves you thousands of dollars but provides great business opportunities in just one click. Blogs are user-friendly, customized and flexible medium for disseminating useful information for effective positioning of the products in the market.

In a survey, there are currently 14 million blogs with 80,000 more being added each day and about 30 percent of the 50 million users are blog readers. If the products are advertised through blogs, information spreads very quickly especially if an impressive write-up goes with the product. Soon the blogs will be passed on to hundreds of possible customers.For the example of corporate blog, you can see from Top 15 Corporate Blogs.

Open communication with customers creates trust and loyalty among them. Being there to respond to their questions and comments make them all the more willing to try products and services. It creates awareness and loyalty from the customers.

Blogs is good for product research and reviews. It would be easier to improve on the products if observe customers’ thinking and behavioral patterns. It can also help business to take immediate action to customers’ concerns, give them the feedback by selling the product fulfill their need and requirement.

Blog is a community halo-effect. Bloggers are reasonable, friendly and helpful. They are more than willing to create useful comments regarding the product. Then business can know how to

improve the product quality and product design. Thus it can increase customer satisfaction.

Blog is like a setup booth in the biggest trade show on earth everyday. It is a good marketing communication tool for company because it is cost effective and efficiency to communicate with customer. Marketing possibilities are just around the corner waiting to strike sale scales up.

Things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in an e-auction

(http://myphliputil.pearsoncmg.com/student/bp_turban_introec_1/Turban-Appendix2A.pdf
)
The internet provides an infrastructure for executing auction at lower administrative cost and with many more participating sellers and buyers. Electronic-auction or E-auction, which are auction conducted online, has been in existence for many years. Individual consumers and corporations alike can participate in this rapidly growing and very convenient form of e-commerce.

Prevent E-Auction Fraud

Escrow services

It is an easy-to-access link to a third-party escrow service; both partners in a deal are protected. The buyer mails the payment to the escrow service, which verifies the payment and alerts the seller when everything checks out. At that point, the seller ships the goods to the buyer. After an agreed-upon inspection period, the buyer notifies the service, which then sends a check to the seller.

Authentication service

Product authentication can detect whether the item is genuine. It is difficult to perform because it relies on the expertise of the authenticators. It needs experience in order to detect counterfeits based on subtle details. But, two authenticators may have different opinions about the authenticity of the same item.

Verification
The third parties will evaluate and identify an item through a variety of means such as some collectors have their item “DNA tagged” for identification purposes. This provides a way of tracking an item if it changes ownership in the future.

As a conclusion, consumers enjoy the convenient of e-auction, but they also need to aware that they are save from the online auction activities through gaining more knowledge before participating in the e- auction.

The Application of Pre-Paid Cash Card for Consumers

What is cash card? It is a type of scratch card, which allows postpaid customers to make payment or purchases through the network. Prepaid values are stored on cash cards form which purchases are deducted. These cards can only be redeemed at terminals set up to accept cash cards.

By using prepaid cash card, customers do not have to wait for the bill statement. Cash card allows customers to avoid disconnection by making advance payment form anywhere, anytime. It is very convenient for customers because they can avoid waiting in a long queue in the bank. Customers in the remote area, where banking facilities is unavailable, can get uninterrupted service.

Examples of prepaid cash card in Malaysia

Touch ‘n Go enhances the speed of paying for low value but high frequency transactions. Apart from the speed, it is also very convenient because user no longer need to prepare for small change or wait in queue at the cash lane to complete the transaction.
Touch 'n Go card is not only for toll fare but also parking services, theme park, and common ticketing system (CTS) for rail transit systems.
Besides, we can also use Touch ‘n Go card in
- Fast foods restaurants:

- Convenience stores:

- Cinemas: Cathay Cineleisure

Examples of prepaid cash card in Hong Kong

The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. The Octopus card was introduced for fare payment on the MTR initially, but the use of the card quickly expanded for multiple other purposes. The card can now be used to pay fares for all public transport in Hong Kong and to make purchases for consumer products at many stores in the city; it is accepted by more than 1,000 merchants.

Notable businesses that accept Octopus cards include PARKnSHOP, Wellcome, Watsons, 7-Eleven, Starbucks, McDonald's, and Circle K.

The card can be used in many soft drink vending machines, pay phones, photo booths, parking meters, and car parks. Aside from consumer transactions, Octopus cards can also be used for access control in buildings and for school administrative functions. At certain office buildings, residential buildings, and schools, usage of an Octopus card is required to access their facilities. As of 21 November 2004, all parking meters in Hong Kong had been converted to using the Octopus card as the form of payment.

Electronic Currency

Electronic currency also known as e-money, electronic cash,, digital money, digital cash or digital currency). Electronoc currency refers to money or scrip which is exchanged only electronically. Typically, this involves use of computer networks, the internet and digital stored value systems. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and direct deposit are examples of electronic money. Also, it is a collective term for financial cryptography and technologies enabling it.

One rare success has been Hong Kong's Octopus card system, which started as a transit payment system and has grown into a widely used electronic cash system. Singapore also has an electronic currency implementation for its public transportation system (commuter trains, bus) A very successful implementation is in the Netherlands, known as Chipknip.

Public-key cryptography and digital signatures (both blind and non-blind signatures) make e-money possible. It would take too long to go into detail how public-key cryptography and digital signatures work. But the basic gist is that banks and customers would have public-key encryption keys. Public-key encryption keys come in pairs. A private key known only to the owner, and a public key, made available to everyone. Whatever the private key encrypts, the public key can decrypt, and vice verse.

There are two varieties of each type of electronic currency: online e-money and offline e-money. Online means you need to interact with a bank (via modem or network) to conduct a transaction with a third party. Offline means you can conduct a transaction without having to directly involve a bank. Offline anonymous e-money (true digital cash) is the most complex form of e-money because of the double-spending problem.

The are examples for electronic currency:

• BitPass - Established Dec 2002, Shut down Jan 2007
  


• Click and Buy - still in operation
  


• PayLoadz - still in operation
  


• Paystone Technologies - still in operation
  


• Peppercoin - - still in operation
  


• Beenz- collapsed in 2001
  


• DigiCash - pioneer of electronic currency, filed for bankruptcy in 1998. A new DigiCash was established recently.
  


• Flooz - established Feb 1999, closed down in August 2001

With using electronic currency, it make our life became easy and not need have to keep a lot of money in the purse.

Credit Card debts: Cause and prevention

Many credit card holder facing a problem-too much credit card debt and unable to meet credit card payment obligations, unable to afford what they really want because every extra cent has to go towards keeping up with the minimum payments on their credit cards. Other than that, some college student also facing the credit card debts (College Student Journal,

Sept, 2002by Jill M. Norvilitis, Phillip Santa Maria).

An important cause of credit card debt is people keep charging items that couldn't afford, use those little plastic cards for things that weren't necessary. Normally, people are trying to pay off yesterday's purchases, many of which have long since worn out or been forgotten, how will we acquire the things that we truly want for tomorrow?

One negative aspect of using credit cards instead of cash is that we don't feel like we're spending real money. We forget about the unpleasant or painful feelings of making the payment for the credit card statement. Studies show that most people are much less likely to buy, or will spend less, when paying with cash as opposed to credit cards. The best solution for this situation is trying leaving the credit cards at home, pay with cash, check, or a debit card.

To really prevent from spending and credit card debt, we need to examine what money means to us, and the attitudes about money. Make an effort to notice how to interact with money and efficiency way to use the money.

Another study also shows that people with low self-esteem engage in more impulse spending and buying things they don't need. Remind ourselves lack of money doesn't determine who we are. Our worth as a person has nothing to do with how much money we have. As we begin to build up feelings of self-worth and develop a positive attitude about ourselves and about money, we'll attract positive things into life. By doing so, we'll feel less of a need to generate positive feelings by purchasing things, and we'll find it easier to stop buying items we don't really need.

As a conclusion, credit card is very convenient and useful for people but it causing some people having problem to pay the credit card debts. Thus we must know how to control desire to buy the thing we don’t really need.