Intrusion Detection, Internet Law Enforcement and Insurance Coverage to Accelerate the Proliferation of Internet Business Singapore

In this article, we propose a framework to accelerate the ubiquitous capitalization of Internet as a vehicle to merchandise goods and services. The motivation for proposing this framework derives from the fact that many consumers and small-to-medium-sized companies are still hesitant to use Internet to shop, trade and disclose sensitive information such as credit card numbers. While IT security technologies and products are widely available, there are still gaps that have to be filled in before Internet becomes a truly viable and profitable channel to do business. The business model that we propose is anchored upon the trilogy of three elements, which are interwoven and indispensable. We believe that to do business over the cyberspace, IT security technologies need to be complemented by financial and law enforcement instruments. We propose and present the case that Intrusion Detection, Internet Law Enforcement and Insurance Coverage (I3) can fill the gaps, both from the technical as well as non-technical standpoints. Just like Command, Control and Communications (C3) are indispensable in any military operations, I3 are critical to creating a trusted environment for Internet Business. The highlight of the I3 framework is an Agent-based Monitoring, Intrusion Detection And Response (AMIDAR) system. AMIDAR is proposed to enable the law enforcement agency to “police” the cyberspace effectively, so that both the virtual shop owners and the consumers feel secure to buy and sell on the Internet. For the insurance underwriters, AMIDAR forms the basis to gain insights into the residual risk, and to draw up realistic insurance policies that sell well. We also point out that risk assessment, automated systems configuration checking as well as computer forensics are the associated technologies to help make the I3 business model feasible. Another novelty is the shopping protocol. It is designed to raise the level of assurance to the proposed I3 framework against fraud. We hope that the I3 framework with the associated shopping protocol can turn the Internet into a market place.