Today, priority must be placed on protection of new applications, current system infrastructure and data integrity in addition to the implementation of privacy practices.

New reports on unauthorized access, interruption of service, privacy invasion and denial of service, have heightened public awareness of the vulnerability of electronic data on the Internet.

As the Internet evolves, and more and more data is interchanged, security measures will have to become more stringent to ensure public privacy and data integrity.

With the amount of information available on the Internet today, choosing best practices to provide privacy and protect data is a daunting task for e-services agencies and businesses alike.

Well as, the knowledge and expertise to select and implement the appropriate security plan for a particular e-commerce solution.

When combined, the tools and knowledge create a formidable wall against breaches of privacy and security through either inadvertent or malicious attacks.

E-commerce sites use several different types of security, often simultaneously, to secure transactions and data on their sites. For example 85% use firewalls, 75% use password authentication and 55% use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption.

The protection of privacy is one of the most important issues surrounding the Internet today.

The extent and amount of personal data collected is not completely know and understood today.

The public wants to know what is being done with the information that they provide. They also want to have a choice to decline from entering a web site if they privacy policies do not coincide with their own beliefs.

The government has an obligation to is customers:

. To protect and maintain the privacy of the information it collects.

. Set the expectation that transaction data will be secure from unauthorized users.

. Make sure that each transaction is authentic.. Assure customers that the information represented on the web is accurate, timely and genuine representation of the e-services entity.

Enforcing aggressive policies, paying constant attention and using technology wisely ensures that all these obligations are met.