The Secure Payment System

The Problem

In the digital economy, how get done we stop payments scams where the supplier accepts payments and does not do the observation or services? This is especially important now that we have a global economy connected by the Internet and digital media. What is required is a secure payment system that protects the interest of both the supplier and the buyer. This paper describes such a system.

The Process

We assume that the buyer and seller have made the connection with each other. The buyer wants to purchase the supplier?s product. However, the buyer and supplier are remote from each other but they can communicate via email (any other instantaneous communications channel would do). We also assume that there is an internet site, called the Secure Payment Site (SPS).

Step 1

The buyer logs on to the SPS and pays the agreed amount plus 5% into the site. The site then generates a Despatch Key (a unique sequence of numbers and letters) and emails this to the supplier. The buyer also sets a time limit on despatch and a minimum number of days between despatch and payment.

Step2

The supplier despatches the goods and enters the despatch key on the SPS site. The site then emails the buyer a Satisfied Key and emails this to the buyer. The supplier also sets a time limit on the customer for satisfactory receipt with the minimum being the number of days proposed by the customer.

Step 3

On receipt of the goods, the buyer enters the Satisfied Key on the SPS site. The site generates a payment to the supplier and refunds the 5%.

This is a straightforward payment transaction where nothing goes wrong. At Step 1, the supplier knows that there will be payment if he supplies the goods. At Step 2, buyer knows he can authorise the release of the funds if he is satisfied with the goods.

To understand how this system can protect the interests of both the buyer and the seller, we need to describe the status of the transaction through the Steps and also the exception handling.

Despatch Issues

If the supplier does not enter the Despatch Key into the SPS within the time limit, the transaction is voided and the SPS will refund the amount to the buyer in full.

Satisfaction Issues

Any time after the despatch key is sent and before the time limit set by the supplier, the buyer may put this transaction into a disputed status. Once the time limit set by the supplier has been reached, if no Satisfaction Key has been entered, the funds will automatically paid to the supplier.

Disputed Status and Resolution

When a transaction is in a disputed status, the site automatically generates two unique keys; the Customer Dispute Key and the Supplier Dispute Key. The site will allow both parties to communicate formally through site mail messages. These messages will be recorded to form an audit trail of the discussions. The funds will only be released as follows:-

Using the Supplier Dispute Key, the supplier may okay a monogram to decrease to the buyer; Using the Buyer Dispute Key, the buyer may allow a denomination to cash the supplier; Either class may use to SPS admin to drive a adjustment if all else fails.

The circuit for freedom is a two edged sword. In our saunter for speed, efficiency and expressive as little as possible, we strive to make life as simple as possible. It was not so log ago that business was done face to face; meetings and paper letters were how we communicated. When we shopped we walked or drove to a store, loaded a trolley or basket and checked out.

Now, we can sit in the comfort of our own home and have face to face meetings through video conferencing, send a letter in less than a second and most importantly, shift our hard earned cash from one bank to another.

But there is a price some pay and it goes beyond the fees and any appropriate software.

The Worst Case Scenario

Your subscriptions to your favorite anti-virus and spyware software former 28 days ago. You have been design to production out your believe card and renew. However, you just haven't gotten to it.

Yesterday an e-mail, SPAM really, hit your inbox with an interesting by-line on the latest natural disaster. You click on the innocuous looking link. The next thing you know, Internet Explorer doesn't quite work correctly, followed by a failure of Windows Explorer, followed by your PC running really slow. You have just been hit with spyware! Next thing you know, your PC will not boot and you are dead in the water.

Detecting Spyware

Like anti-virus software, anti-spyware software relies on databases of obvious scoundrel programs that devoir be updated weekly to be effective. Detecting spyware files plant in much the same way as your anti-virus software by scanning your hard drive files and folders.

There is some very good anti-spyware and anti-adware software is which is free such as adaware se.

It seems that not a epoch goes by without some pinpoint hypersonic across our TVs about internet humbug or theft. It?s never going to stop, but one of the best ways to protect ourselves from this modern menace is to develop and use effective passwords on all financially sensitive websites.

Numerous articles have been written addressing this issue, and many offer similar, and good, advice:

• Don?t choose a word found in the dictionary
• Add one or fresh numbers
• Use one or more highest letters
• Make it at incipient eight characters
• Add a symbol.

A password utilizing this criteria adeptness peep crucial savor this: G8iwn2*B. Although this is a strong password, has no meaning and is therefore difficult to remember. So the question arises: how do we utilize the above criteria while creating something memorable and difficult to crack?

One of the interesting things about the English language is that a single sound can be spelled many ways. Take the long E sound, for example, as in see. It can be spelled e, ee, ea, ey, ei, i, ie. Or how about the SH sound, as in sheet. Try sh, s, ti, ci, si, ch. Here is how to incorporate this apparent flaw of English to create strong and memorable passwords.

First, choose a meaningful name, the shorter the better. Let?s say your maternal grandmother?s maiden name was Cox. We are going to take the letters of her name and spell them phonetically. C becomes See. O becomes Oh. X becomes Ex. So C-O-X becomes SeeOhEx. Do you see it? Say it out loud if you have having trouble.

If she was born in 1918, we can incorporate those numbers like this: 1See9Oh1Ex8. Perhaps your grandmother was rich, so we?ll add a dollar sign: 1See9Oh1Ex8$.

Another security tip is to change passwords periodically. Because the same sound can often be spelled several ways, the password above can morph to: 19SeaOaEks$18. Can you still see the C-O-X?

So now we have a password that:

• is not a word found in the dictionary
• uses fresh than number
• incorporates fresh than one pre-eminent letter
• is more than eight characters
• has a symbol
• and is meaningful!

More Tips For Success:

• Once you have formulated a embryonic password, set up your chat processing technic and practice typing it. Your goal is for it to flow smoothly off your fingers so you no longer need to think about it.
• Spend spell problem to actualize a unbalanced picture of what your password looks like. Write it down and study it to help cement the image into your memory. Be sure to shred the paper later.
• Make consummate you can delicate valid out the phonetic parts and that the phonetic parts trigger sense to you.
• When inward passwords online, impart between feverish reward sites and low security sites. Your online subscription to Amateur Boating Today does not require a complex password. Don?t use one for sites don?t need it.
• For a other butcher of security, don?t gain easily done words, such as your favorite pet, your child?s name, or your first name.
• Good chat choices secure brief song from your family?s past. Some examples: your father?s first car (Ford becomes EfOhArDee); the name of the city where your cousin was born (Dover becomes DeOhVeEeAr); the first name of your mother?s best friend in high school (Gayle becomes JeeAyWyElEe). Choose something that still has meaning for you and is not so obscure that, after setting it up on a site, you later scratch your head and have to call tech-support. Don?t forget to add a significant number and symbol.
• If you have work with the phonetics of a appropriate word, either chose an easier word, or browse due to a dictionary to second you find alternate spellings for particular sounds.

Good luck and happy passwording!