G

NASIR ISLAM

944

34 BATCH

ASSIGNMENT
COMPUTER SCIENCE

WORLD UNIVERSITY OF BANGLADESH

 Answer to the question No:1

E-commerce stands for electronic-commerce. It is defined as buying and

selling of products and services over the internet (Shim et al. 2000) but it is
not a complete definition of E-commerce. Asper Bidgoli (2002), it is a
system that not only includes the transactions that center on buying and
selling of goods and services to generate revenue but also those revenue
support generation, such as generating demand of those goods and
services, offering sales and customer service i.e., it includes not only
buying or selling but also includes marketing of goods and services and
also the transfer of funds online.

product promotion E-commerce enhances promotion of products and

services through direct, attractive and interactive contact with
customers. New sales channel E-commerce creates a new distribution
channel for existing products. It facilitates direct reach of customers and the
bi-directional nature of communication.
Finally, e-commerce is beneficial to both businesses and consumers as
saving time and space barriers. The most notable strategic effects at the
business-unit level: are value added, differentiation, cost leadership,
focus, and business growth strategies.

The internet has changed many aspects of our lives, including the way we
communicate with each other, how we keep our finances. It has made a profound
impact on society. Now we shop online from our houses. This forces retailers to
open online division. It can also force smaller businesses to shut their doors, or
change to being completely online. It also has changed people way of spending
money. Undoubtedly, it will continue to influence how companies sell and market
their products, as well as how people choose to make purchases for many years
to come. The following are the impact of e-commerce on the global economy.

Product promotion E-commerce enhances promotion of products and services

through direct, attractive and interactive contact with customers. New sales
channel E-commerce creates a new distribution channel for existing products. It
facilitates direct reach of customers and the bi-directional nature of
communication. Direct savings The cost of delivering information to customers
over the Internet results in substantial savings to senders when compared with
non-electronic delivery. Major savings are also realized in delivering digitized
products versus physical delivery (Turban, 2010). Reduced cycle time The delivery
of digitized products and services can be reduced to seconds (Turban, 2010). Also,
the administrative work related to physical delivery, especially across
international borders, can be reduced significantly, cutting the cycle time by more
than 90 percent. GIAN JYOTI E-JOURNAL, Volume 1, Issue 2 (Jan – Mar 2012) ISSN
2250-348X [Link]/[Link] Customer service Customer
service can be greatly enhanced by enabling customers to find detailed
information online. Also, intelligent agents can answer standard e-mail questions
in seconds and human experts' services can be expedited using help-desk
software. Corporate image On the Web, newcomers can establish corporate
images very quickly. Corporate image means trust, which is necessary for direct
sales. Traditional companies such as Intel, Disney, Dell, and Cisco use their Web
activities to affirm their corporate identity and brand image.

Ans to the question no:2

E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services,
or the transmitting of funds or data, over an electronic network, primarily the
internet. These business transactions occur either as business-to-business (B2B),
business-to-consumer (B2C), consumer-to-consumer or consumer-to-business.
The following are the different types of e-commerce platforms:

1. Business-to-Business (B2B)
2. Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
3. Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
4. Consumer-to-Business (C2B)
5. Business-to-Administration (B2A)
6. Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)

Business-to-Business (B2B)
A B2B model of business involves the conduct of trade between two or more
businesses/companies. The channels of such trade generally include conventional
wholesalers and producers who are dealing with retailers.

Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
Business-to-Consumer model of business deals with the retail aspects of e-commerce, i.e. the
sale of goods and/or services to the end consumer through digital means. The facility, which
has taken the business world by storm, enables the consumer to have a detailed look at their
proposed procurements before placing an order. After the placement of such orders, the
company/agent receiving the order will then deliver the same to the consumer in a
convenient time-span. Some of the businesses operating in this channel include well-known
players like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.

This mode of purchase has proved to be beneficial to the consumers when compared to the
traditional method, as they are endowed with access to helpful contents which may guide
their purchases appropriately.

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
This business model is leveraged by a consumer for selling used goods and/or services to
other consumers through the digital medium. The transactions here are pursued through a
platform provided by a third party, the likes of which include OLX, Quicker, etc.

Consumer-to-Business (C2B)
A C2B model is the exact reversal of a B2C model. While the latter is serviced to
the consumer by a business, the C2B model provides the end consumers with an
opportunity to sell their products/services to companies. The method is popular
in crowdsourcing based projects, the nature of which typically includes logo
designing, sale of royalty-free photographs/media/design elements, and so on
and so forth.

Business-to-Administration (B2A)
This model enables online dealings between companies and public
administration, i.e. the Government by enabling the exchange of information
through central websites. It provides businesses with a platform to bid on
government opportunities such as auctions, tenders, application submission, etc.
The scope of this model is now enhanced, thanks to the investments made
towards e-government.

Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)
The C2A platform is meant for consumers, who may use it for requesting
information or posting feedbacks concerning public sectors directly to the
government authorities/administration. Its areas of applicability include:
  The dissemination of information.
 Distance learning.
 Remittance of statutory payments.
 Filing of tax returns.
 Seeking appointments, information about illnesses, payment of health services, etc.

Ans to the question no:3

The main factors to consider when developing an e-commerce presence are the
organizational capabilities and human resources you will need to build and manage the site, the
hardware, the software, the telecommunications infrastructure you will need to meet the demands of
your customers, and the site design you will need.
the process that should be followed in building an E-commerce presence is :

1. Maximize your customers’ experience. The world may be more comfortable with online
shopping these days, but as an internet retailer, you still have the disadvantage that no
one can physically examine your products. Fill this void with detailed product
descriptions and additional bullet points detailing specifications at a glance; utilize high
quality photos, and integrate videos such as product demos; enable product reviews;
always think about how you can give your customers more.
2. Establish your brand identity. From your logo and color scheme to your language use
and total website design, every decision you make sets a mood and establishes your
company’s personality. How do you want your visitors to perceive you? The voice you
choose and tone you strike should be consistent throughout. These are the first steps to
building a connection with a customer. Be professional and unique.
3. Build Trust. People don’t give their credit card information to people they don’t have
confidence in. There are many ways to build that trust, but you should start with
including company contact details in an easy to find location and telling your company
story. Assuring privacy and security is essential. An Extended Validation Secure Sockets
Layer (EV-SSL) certificate, which customers recognize when they see a green bar or a
green lock in the address bar of a secure website, is also an important step for any
online retailer.
4. Enable easy search-ability. Whether people come to your ecommerce website just to
“browse” or whether they are looking for something specific, you should do everything
you can to make their hunt a simple process. Place the search bar in a clear location
(perhaps the top right) on every single page; suggest similar or complementary items to
the one a visitor is looking at; use corrective searches that offer possible spelling
suggestions rather than an error message; separate products into logical categories, and
enable search within each category.
5. Be mobile-friendly. Online shopping isn’t just happening on desktop computers, so
make sure every customer can have a straight-forward experience, no matter what
 device they are using. Responsiveness is vital for websites these days. You don’t want to
lose a possible sale because your online store doesn’t work on a smartphone or tablet.
6. Optimize the checkout process. Don’t let your potential customers fill up their shopping
carts only to stop due to complexities or confusion. Make the checkout steps clear with
a progress indicator, and enable customers to navigate backward or forward easily
during this process; design all information forms with simplicity in mind, asking only for
necessary information and making entry errors understandable; offer “guest check-out”
for customers who do not want to register before their purchase; provide a clear order
summary before the final purchase and a clear order confirmation afterward.
7. Go above and beyond. People remember quality service. It’s the little conveniences and
special add-ons that bring them back for more just as much as the quality products that
they purchase. Invest in solid customer service; offer a same-day shipping option or free
shipping; provide gift wrapping; communicate with professionalism and personality.

Answer to the question No:4

E-commerce Security Threats

1. Financial frauds

Ever since the first online businesses entered the world of the internet, financial
fraudsters have been giving businesses a headache. There are various kinds of
financial frauds prevalent in the e-commerce industry, but we are going to
discuss the two most common of them.

a. Credit Card Fraud

It happens when a cybercriminal uses stolen credit card data to buy products
on your e-commerce store. Usually, in such cases, the shipping and billing
addresses vary. You can detect and curb such activities on your store by
installing an AVS – Address Verification System.

Another form of credit card fraud is when the fraudster steals your personal
details and identity to enable them to get a new credit card.
b. Fake Return & Refund Fraud

The bad players perform unauthorized transactions and clear the trail, causing
businesses great losses. Some hackers also engage in refund frauds, where
they file fake requests for returns.

2. Phishing

Several e-commerce shops have received reports of their customers receiving

messages or emails from hackers masquerading to be the legitimate store
owners. Such fraudsters present fake copies of your website pages or another
reputable website to trick the users into believing them. For example, see this
image below. A seemingly harmless and authentic email from PayPal asking to
provide details.

3. Spamming

Some bad players can send infected links via email or social media inboxes.
They can also leave these links in their comments or messages on blog posts
and contact forms. Once you click on such links, they will direct you to their
spam websites, where you may end up being a victim.

Mass-mailed malware infection can quickly morph into a much more seriou
s problem

says Brian Krebs, data security expert.

Apart from lowering your website security, spamming also reduces its speed
and severely affects performance.

4. DoS & DDoS Attacks

Many e-commerce websites have incurred losses due to disruptions in their

website and overall sales because of DDoS (Distributed Denial of
Service) attacks. What happens is that your servers receive a deluge of
requests from many untraceable IP addresses causing it to crash and making
unavailable to your store visitors.
5. Malware

Hackers may design a malicious software and install on your IT and computer
systems without your knowledge. These malicious programs include spyware,
viruses, trojan, and ransomware.

The systems of your customers, admins, and other users might have Trojan
Horses downloaded on them. These programs can easily swipe any sensitive
data that might be present on the infected systems and may also infect your
website.

6. Exploitation of Known Vulnerabilities

Attackers are on the lookout for certain vulnerabilities that might be existing in
your e-commerce store.
Often an e-commerce store is vulnerable to SQL injection (SQLi) and Cross-
site Scripting (XSS).
Let’s take a quick look at these vulnerabilities:

a. SQL Injection

It is a malicious technique where a hacker attacks your query submission forms

to be able to access your backend database. They corrupt your database with
an infectious code, collect data, and later wipe out the trail.

b. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

The attackers can plant a malicious JavaScript snippet on your e-commerce

store to target your online visitors and customers. Such codes can access your
customers’ cookies and compute. You can implement the Content Security
Policy (CSP) to prevent such attacks.

7. Bots

Some attackers develop special bots that can scrape your website to get
information about inventory and prices. Such hackers, usually your competitors,
can then use the data to lower or modify the prices in their websites in an
attempt to lower your sales and revenue.
8. Brute force

The online environment also has players who can use brute force to attack your
admin panel and crack your password. These fraudulent programs connect to
your website and try out thousands of combinations in an attempt to obtain you
site’s passwords. Always ensure to use strong, complex passwords that are
hard to guess. Additionally, always change your passwords frequently.

9. Man in The Middle (MITM)

A hacker may listen in on the communication taking place between your e-

commerce store and a user. Walgreens Pharmacy Store experienced such an
incident. If the user is connected to a vulnerable Wi-Fi or network, such
attackers can take advantage of that.

10. e-Skimming

E-skimming involves infecting a website’s checkout pages with malicious

software. The intention is to steal the clients’ personal and payment details.

Answer to the question No:5

Business-to-business (B2B) is a transaction or business conducted between one business

and another, such as a wholesaler and retailer. B2B transactions tend to happen in the
supply chain, where one company will purchase raw materials from another to be used in the
The supply chain process for multiple businesses can be quite difficult to manage. Challenges
inherent in supply chain management for B2B eCommerce include production planning,
purchasing, material management, distribution, and more. From wholesalers to manufacturers,
every point of the supply chain management process is a critical one for successful B2B
eCommerce. B2B eCommerce technology solutions, such as an eCommerce Dynamics CRM
integration, are a critical component of this [Link] process.

procurement is the process of acquiring the supplies you need to run your business operations.
On the other hand, supply chain management encompasses how those supplies are
transformed into finished products and delivered to the end-users.

The task of buying products or services and ensuring that suppliers comply with
legal and company policies. Procurement may involve the management of internal
processes such as adding new suppliers and ensuring they are compliant. A key aspect
of a role within supply chain and procurement is supplier relations.
The types of procurement contracts and are typically either fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, or
time and materials.

An effective eCommerce SCM can help streamline tasks related to stock monitoring or
ensure availability of resources before the "out of stock" point. It can also "connect"
customers to the inventory, allowing for transparency and the ability to know if or when the
requested product will be available.

We find evidence that the impact of e-business technologies on supply chain operations have
resulted in a reduced "bullwhip effect," lower inventory, reduced logistics costs, and
streamlined procurement processes. For developers that specialize in larger, complex
projects and that have internal management resources, construction management may be the
best procurement method. In this system, developers sub-contract every aspect of the project to
the lowest and most qualified bidder.

The end…………..