Abstract
M.Sc.
The exponential growth of the Internet contributes to risks and threats which materialize without our knowledge. The more computer and Internet use becomes a part of our daily lives, the more we expose ourselves and our personal information on the World Wide Web and hence, the more opportunities arise for fraudsters to get hold of this information.
Internet use can be associated with Internet banking, online shopping, online transactions, Internet Relay Chat, newsgroups, search engines, online blogs and e-mail. The source behind online activities carried on over the Internet may be different from what we are led to believe. Communication lines may be intercepted, compromising sensitive information of the user. It is a risk to make digital payments and reveal sensitive information about ourselves to an unknown source. If the risk materializes, it may result in undesired circumstances.
Using the Internet securely should be a prerequisite to every user before conducting online transactions and activities over the World Wide Web. Owing to the versatility and ease of the electronic medium, electronic databases and vast amounts of sensitive information are readily accumulated. This is cause for concern regarding the main issues, namely privacy, identity theft and monetary fraud. Major countermeasures to mitigate the main forms of security and Internet-related issues are awareness of these risks and how they may materialize as well as relevant protection mechanisms.
A discussion about why the Internet is a popular medium for criminal behaviour, what risks are involved, what can be done about them and some technical as well as non-technical preventative measures are covered in this dissertation.
The purpose of this dissertation is to create an overall awareness of Internet banking and the process of Internet transactions. The end result is the development of an information security awareness portal (ISAP) aimed at the general public and potential Internet users who may be subject to identity and credit fraud. The aim of the ISAP is to sensitize users and minimize the growing numbers of individuals who are victimized through online crimes. Individuals using the Internet need to be aware of privacy concerns governing the Internet and how searchers are able to find out almost anything about them.
The false sense of security and anonymity we as users think we have when innocently connecting to the World Wide Web outlines threats lurking in the background where we would never imagine. By the time you are finished reading this dissertation, it may put you off transacting and revealing sensitive information about yourself online ever again.