Public confidence in the security of information processed and stored on computer networks and a predictable environment of strong deterrence for computer crime is critical to the development of 'e-commerce' (or electronic commerce) , or commercial transactions online. Companies' ability to participate in e-commerce depends heavily on their ability to minimize e-risk. Risks in the world of electronic transactions online include viruses, cyber attacks (or distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks) such as those which were able to bring Yahoo, eBay and other websites to a halt in February 2000, and e-forgery. There also have been other highly publicized problems of `e-fraud' and theft of proprietary information in some cases even for ransom (`e-extortion'). In the biggest case of `e-fraud' to date, an organized crime ring was recently caught attempting an online banking fraud that could have cost the Sicilian regional government over US$ 465 million. And in January 2000, a group of UK hackers broke into the computer networks of at least 12 multinational corporations and stole confidential files demanding up to £10 million in ransom. The accessibility of the Internet and the difficulty for law enforcement in tracing the perpetrators of these crimes favors a preventive approach in addressing these problems.

Recommended Links:

Australasian Legal Information Institute: Cyberspace
Useful international links plus an Australian perspective.

Internet Fraud
US Department of Justice Internet fraud page, contains general information and some starting point links.

Internet Fraud Complaint Center
Joint FBI and National White Collar Crime Center website for reporting Internet fraud.

Internet Fraud Watch
Online consumers group which receives and processes complaints as well as producing reports on online fraud.

Georgetown University: Williams Library Research Guides
Links from Georgetown University library website. Very comprehensive.

The Information Economy
Website of the Dean of the School of Information Management and Systems at the University of California at Berkeley. Very comprehensive.

US Government Electronic Commerce Policy
Very comprehensive site maintained by the US Department of Commerce with a significant number of policy documents and links.