Brussels, 06/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - In a White Paper on e-commerce, ENISA, the European Network and Information Security Agency, sets out the dangers related to online shopping and provides recommendations to improving safety. With online shopping still relatively limited in member states, these recommendations will help European citizens overcome their mistrust.
According to Eurostat, the EU statistical office, nearly 40% of EU citizens shopped online in 2009, a trend that will grow over the next few years. Millions of shoppers, however, have yet to use the internet for shopping. ENISA says that around one third of those who have not shopped online have concerns about payment security. Another 30 % have privacy and trust concerns. Improving confidence and security are among the European Commission's seven flagship priorities in its digital strategy. In order to build up European citizens' trust levels, the Commission advocates better coordination at European level of responses to cyber-attack, and toughening the rules on personal data protection, ENISA states. The White Paper provides a comprehensive overview of e-commerce, its history and its trends. It also looks into online banking services, internet infrastructure services and online fraud. ENISA provides five “golden rules” for consumers, covering the following points: 1) Tips on avoiding fraudulent sites; 2) How to protect your data when shopping online; 3) Tips for safe transactions when paying online; 4) Overview of legislation that protects online customers; 5) How to deal with completion of the sale issues.
The paper concludes that online shopping offers great benefits for the consumers, such as the vast range of articles at very competitive prices. “This comprehensive white paper … is a milestone for increasing trust in the digital economy, and making it prosper even more,” said ENISA Executive Director Udo Helmbrecht. (I.L./transl.rt)