AICPA Joins Global Accounting Profession in Paris to Explore Solutions to E-Commerce Risks; Group Recommends Top 10 Ways to Protect Online Privacy.Business Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2000 The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants With over 330,525 CPA members (in August 2006), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the largest professional organization of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the United States of America. announced today that representatives of the global accounting profession gathered in Paris last week for a three-day conference to explore solutions to the risks of e-commerce, including protection of online privacy. Opportunities for data mining of private information by businesses, government and individuals have increased exponentially with the growth of the Internet, creating concern in many sectors. Along with the increased use of the Internet as a medium of exchange for goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. comes the need to find the correct balance between the appropriate use of information for business purposes and real privacy protection for individuals. "Privacy is one of the most pressing concerns of consumers in the U.S. and other countries," said Robert Elliott Robert Elliott may refer to:
See American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). . "In a recent IBM/Harris Poll, 94% of U.S. citizens said they were concerned about the possible misuse of their personal information. As the representative of over 335,000 individual members of the accounting profession who deal with confidential information Noun 1. confidential information - an indication of potential opportunity; "he got a tip on the stock market"; "a good lead for a job" steer, tip, wind, hint, lead on behalf of both individuals and businesses, we feel strongly about the need to protect private information. Consumers and businesses want to know that their privacy is protected both on- and off-line." Representing Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong Hong Kong (hŏng kŏng), Mandarin Xianggang, special administrative region of China, formerly a British crown colony (2005 est. pop. 6,899,000), land area 422 sq mi (1,092 sq km), adjacent to Guangdong prov. , Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and Wales Wales, Welsh Cymru, western peninsula and political division (principality) of Great Britain (1991 pop. 2,798,200), 8,016 sq mi (20,761 sq km), west of England; politically united with England since 1536. The capital is Cardiff. , the group recommends the following ten ways in which Internet users can protect their personal privacy: (1) Be cautious about giving personal information. Do not disclose your personal information, such as your address, telephone number or email address See Internet address. , unless you know WHO is collecting the information, WHY they are collecting it, and HOW they will use it. (2) Use a secure Internet browser See Web browser. . Your browser is used to navigate the Internet and should comply with industry security standards using a technology like Secure Sockets Layer (networking, security) Secure Sockets Layer - (SSL) A protocol designed by Netscape Communications Corporation to provide secure communications over the Internet using asymmetric key encryption. (SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) The leading security protocol on the Internet. Developed by Netscape, SSL is widely used to do two things: to validate the identity of a Web site and to create an encrypted connection for sending credit card and other personal data. ) encryption. The SSL technology encrypts or scrambles your Internet transaction information, thereby ensuring the security of your transaction. Most computers come with a browser already installed. You should check to see that it incorporates SSL technology. You can also download more secure browser versions from the Internet at no cost. (3) Make sure the merchant site is secure and review its privacy policy. Look at the merchant's Web site address, referred to as the Uniform Resource Locator See URL. (World-Wide Web) Uniform Resource Locator - (URL, previously "Universal") A standard way of specifying the location of an object, typically a web page, on the Internet. Other types of object are described below. , or "URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. ," to see of the site is secure. A secure URL address begins with "https://," where the "s" refers to the fact that the site is secure. In addition, review the security disclosures of the sites you visit, along with their privacy policies regarding the collection and use of your personal information. Some disclosures are easier to locate than others. Look at the bottom of the site's "home page," on the transaction page, or in the "About" or "FAQs" section of a site. If you cannot locate these disclosures, or the website does not allow you to opt out of having your personal information gathered for marketing or other purposes, consider moving to another site for your transaction. Use digital signatures to help authenticate (1) To verify (guarantee) the identity of a person or company. To ensure that the individual or organization is really who it says it is. See authentication and digital certificate. (2) To verify (guarantee) that data has not been altered. the identity of senders and recipients on the Internet. (4) Pay by credit or charge card. In some countries, if you pay for online purchases with a credit or charge card, your transaction may be protected by additional laws or regulations. Some card issuers offer online shopping guarantees that ensure that you will not be held responsible for unauthorized charges made online, and others also may offer additional warranty, return and/or purchase protection benefits. (5) Beware of "Trojan Horse See Trojan. Trojan Horse hollow horse concealed soldiers, enabling them to enter and capture Troy. [Gk. Myth.: Iliad] See : Deceit (application, security) Trojan horse " programs. Be careful when downloading programs off of the Internet from an unknown source. Avoid programs that carry harmful code inside what appears to be benign programs or data - these programs can gather your personal information such as passwords or banking information that exists on both public and private computers. Known as "Trojan horses It may never be fully completed or, depending on its its nature, it may be that it can never be completed. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome.
these programs are designed to sneak through firewalls designed to protect you. If you suspect a Trojan horse has hit your computer, remember that they are NOT viruses. This means that anti-virus software will not protect you against them nor will it stop the programs form gathering your private information. You should download a detection program to find Trojan horses and eliminate or disable them. (6) Never give your passwords to anyone online. This warning includes your Internet Service Provider Internet service provider (ISP) Company that provides Internet connections and services to individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site (see data transmission), as well as a log-in name and password. (ISP (1) See in-system programmable. (2) (Internet Service Provider) An organization that provides access to the Internet. Connection to the user is provided via dial-up, ISDN, cable, DSL and T1/T3 lines. ). Try to be original when you create a password. The safest type of password includes unusual combinations of numbers and upper- and lower-case alpha characters, in addition to symbols. Avoid using your name, telephone number, birth date or other easily identifiable number or code. (7) Keep records of your online transactions and check your credit card statements. Always keep a copy of each purchase order along with a confirmation number for the transaction and put into your files. This information could be useful if you need to contact the merchant again to resolve delivery and billing problems, as well as process returns of your purchases. Check your credit card statements each month to verify purchases you made online - confirm that the correct amount was billed - and to make sure that no unauthorized charges were made. Contact your card issuer if you find any incorrect or unauthorized charges. Many card issuers will remove the charge in question until it is resolved with the merchant. Also contact the merchant directly if you have any question about a charge for one of your purchases. Report any suspected fraudulent use of your credit card to your card issuer. (8) Monitor the use of "cookies" by a site. Sometimes a site will want to place a cookie onto your computer for purposes of tracking your behavior. Cookies are small pieces of code that can also keep track of passwords and user IDs when you sign onto a site. However, be aware that cookies can also track your site navigation even after you leave a site - this helps them to create a user profile of your online behavior. You can configure your browser to notify you when a site wants to place a cookie onto your computer, giving you the option to decline the cookie. (9) Do not allow children to use the Internet without supervision. Children are particularly vulnerable when it comes to giving out personal information. Be sure to supervise your children when they are online, particularly when they are shopping or being asked to provide personal information. (10)Look for sites that have been independently tested and verified. Look for sites that have been independently tested and verified by a third party to ensure the site has met certain principles and criteria covering acceptable privacy protection, security controls, disclosure of business practices and procedures, and integrity of transactions. For additional information about best practices for online privacy and other e-commerce issues, please refer to the WebTrust Principles and Criteria that can be found by visiting http://www.aicpa.org/webtrust/index.htm. If you believe that your privacy has been violated by a Web site, the AICPA recommends you take the following actions: contact the Consumer Response Center at the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection. This Center can be reached by calling toll-free at 1-877-FTC-HELP or writing them at: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C., 20580. You can also contact the National Consumer League's National Fraud Information Center toll-free at 1-800-876-7060 or visit their Web site at www.fraud.org. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (http://www.aicpa.org) is the ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9001 certified national professional organization of CPAs in the United States with more than 335,000 members in public practice, business and industry, government and education. |
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