Users should feel safe in using the Internet. According to the survey done by Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group in 1997, the most common concerns about Internet security are the issues of privacy and security in e-mails, as well as the security of networks.

Confidential and sensitive information can be stolen or altered if corporations do not take effective measures to protect their networks from intrusions.

Potential customers should feel safe when using the sites for purchases, services or pay-per-use information and entertainment. Since the Internet is a growing distribution medium, the issue of security becomes critical in the context of business transactions.

A cookie is a small text file which is transferred from the Web server to your Web browser. It is a handle or transaction identifier, and it permits a site to recognize you on subsequent visits. Since cookies create the user's profile and contain the user's e-mail address, risks may be involved if cookies are not handled properly.

Java is an object-oriented programming language for creating distributed executable applications. Bugs in Java applets and hostile Java applets may pose threats to security, causing problems from merely shutting down the browser to consuming all of the resources in the computer system.

Formally known as OLE controls or OCX controls, ActiveX controls are components that you can insert into a web page or other application so that you can reuse packaged functionality that someone else programmed. If ActiveX scripts are not written properly, security risks may be involved.

CGI Scripts may lead to accidental disclosure of confidential information, such as passwords or registry files. The scripts that process remote user input may also be vulnerable to attacks, in which remote users can trick them into executing commands.

A firewall is a hardware and/or software gateway that buffers and shields data passing between two networks. Firewalls help to enhance system security by protecting against network level attacks, and has the ability to authorize, authenticate and alert.

Digital signature ensures authenticity. A mathematical summary of data is encrypted using a signing private key to create a digital signature. The signature can be verified by any other party who has the corresponding public key. With all these properties, a digital signature can provide a greater level of security than a physical signature.

A username/password combination can be utilized to prevent unauthorized access. A good username and password should be chosen in a way so as to make it difficult for hackers to crack.

Individual documents or whole directories can be protected in such a way that only browsers connecting from certain IP addresses or network domains can access them.