Security and privacy are two of the most important things an Internet based retail shopping website can have since the exchange of personal and financial data are essential to the completion of an Internet retail transaction. A large percentage of Internet shoppers do not research or question a retail website’s privacy or security, but the importance of these two aspects of Internet shopping become crystal clear when a data breach or a privacy invasion occurs.
The primary reason why Internet shopping was not wildly popular at the turn of the 21st century was because of the security fears of potential customers. With the burgeoning mainstream participation in Internet shopping, it seems that security is assumed, and privacy is taken for granted. But just because customers are much less fearful of Internet retailing security and privacy issues, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.
Each year the Online Trust Alliance (OTA) analyzes the largest retail Internet shopping websites (listed on the Internet 500) for privacy and security best practices, standards, and FTC and National Institute of Standards and Technology compliance. In 2013 that analysis included more than 10,000 web pages and 500 million emails. The analysis was looking for the Internet retail websites that had adopted best practices for these 14 different aspects of security and privacy:
Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM)
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC)