Integrated Professional Skills in Digital Age: Challenges and Measures of Security and Privacy

This report discusses the positive and negative aspects of online and offline products and services, and the challenges and measures of security and privacy that businesses face when they go online. It also analyzes two tools, Zoom and Team Viewer, comparing their features, applications, and suitability.

Integrated Professional
Skills in Digital Age

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
The positive and negative aspects of services and products being sold online and offline.........1
Discussing the challenges and measures of security and privacy that individuals and
businesses take when they go online...........................................................................................3
Due to widespread of COVID-19, many businesses are turning to provide their services
online. Analysing two tools, comparing their features, applications, suitability etc. ................6
CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Internet and technology plays an important role in development of business performance.
Information and communication technology is a vital tool for organisations because it enhance
organisation's decision making process, reduce cost and improve operational efficiency of the
business. Internet helped many organisations to run their business online during the pandemic
and it ultimately helped businesses to gain an competitive advantage in the industry (Abed,
2021). In this report we will discuss positive and negative aspects of services and products which
being sold online of offline. The report will also highlight the challenges and measures business
take when they go online.
MAIN BODY
The positive and negative aspects of services and products being sold online and offline.
Positive aspects of online products and services -
Time Saver – Shopping online can save buyers time, a consumer only need an electronic device
and network connection to buy online products and services. It also allow consumers to buy any
time.
Convenient for consumers – Buying something online make consumers feel more comfortable.
If consumers want to buy something online they can visit different online stores and compare
prices easily. Customers can also see other customers review and feedbacks while purchasing
something (King, 2018). While buying something online consumer can cancel order if they don't
like the product. While in the offline store there is always a employee at the store who assist
customers to buy something, if customers don't make a purchase they may feel shy and
uncomfortable.
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Delivery – Online products and services are delivered at buyers address. They don't need to
move to stores to pick up what they bought. That's why it is more convenient for consumers to
buy online.
Discounts – While shopping online customers have more options to choose and they can also get
many discount options. There are many online stores in the market that are competing to each
other and that's why they offer various discounts to customers to gain a competitive advantage in
industry. Online stores also organise sale programs on holidays to increase there sales .In these
sale programs they offer heavy discounts to consumers.
Distance – Consumers have access to the internet and they can order any thing from anywhere
from the world. Internet has allowed businesses to reach customers from anywhere in the world.
Online products and services has minimised the distance factor in shopping.
Negative aspects of online products and services -
Quality – Customers can not check product quality before purchasing a product. Consumers
have to make purchase by seeing the images of the products or service. Consumers only have
some information which stores mention on their online platforms (Nah and Siau, 2020). Buying
something online depends so much on feedbacks and trust. Some online businesses can use fake
images and copied description to manipulate customers.
Possibilities of Frauds – In online shopping the chances of fraud is high, cyber crime is
increasing and hackers and criminal can misuse customers data like credit card or bank details.
Sometimes, even the shopping site can be disappear if it is a fraud site. Customers buying
anything online must think that the site in genuine and safe. Customers share their address, bank
details, credit card details and so much other information which can raise a privacy issue. Some
unreliable stores can use this information for unethical or fraud activity. The stores must make
sure that they use secure payment gateways for a safe transaction. This disadvantage is holding
the growth of online shopping.
Lack of interactivity – In offline shopping customers can interact with the store staff and
managers and they can negotiate for the product or service. Sales representative at offline stores
can resolve any customers query instantly but while shopping online customers can not get their
query resolve instantly.
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Delay in delivery – Delivery of the product purchased online can take time. Businesses need
proper inventory management so that they can take online orders of products they can deliver on
time. Ordering something online is a fast process but delivery of the product can take a long
time. This can be inconvenient for customers and it prevents customers to buy online.
Positive aspects of offline products and services -
Quality check – Customers prefer offline shopping because they can check the quality of
product before buying. In offline shopping there is no scope of customers getting disappointed
with the quality. Customers can check product physically which is not the case in online
shopping.
Personal Touch – In offline shopping, businesses can maintain a good relation with the buyer.
Customers and store staff create a relation and store owner or staff understands the customers
preference or behaviour (Savastano and et.al., 2019). In online shopping there is lack of personal
touch while offline shopping has an element of personal touch. Understanding customers wants
and preferences is the biggest challenge for online stores.
Negative aspects of offline product and services -
Limited choices – Biggest negative aspect of offline shopping is limited products. Offline stores
offer limited variety of products which is not a case in online stores. While shopping online,
customers can choose from many different options but offline stores maintain a limited stock and
consumers need to choose from the available stock.
Time consuming – Offline shopping can be time consuming while on the other hand online
shopping just take few minutes. Customers need to visit physical stores and then they have to
look for the product they need, then in physical stores they may have to stand in a queue for
payment. Online shopping prevent customers to follow this process.
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Discussing the challenges and measures of security and privacy that individuals and businesses
take when they go online.
Most of the business go online because online retail industry is growing rapidly and to maintain a
competitive advantage offline businesses are going online to serve a bigger customer base. When
businesses go online they face many challenges regarding security and privacy. In digital era,
doing business has become very challenging. There are rules and regulations that businesses
need to follow in online businesses. Some challenges businesses face when they take their
business online are mentioned below.
Building E-Commerce Website
To take business online the first step a business need take is to build a e-commerce website. A
good website is a must for a business to conduct smooth online business. Building a website
which is modern, clean, user friendly, secure and bug free can be very challenging task for the
businesses. Finding the right website designing team can be challenging for business. A business
need to hire a team of website developers who can create the perfect website. Technology is
constantly changing and businesses need to make regular changes in their website according to
the recent technology (Li, Zhang and Han, 2021). There are many technical factors which can
harm website and hence business productivity. An ideal e-commerce website is one which take
minimum loading time and work on smoothly on different platforms. Businesses should hire a
team of professionals who can create and manage the website.
Marketing
Online business also need marketing and digital marketing is a vital process which help an online
business to grow. Businesses face challenges to generate traffic on the websites and they can
resolve this issue with a good digital marketing campaign. Every online business want to
increase the rank of their website on search engines and for that every online business make their
efforts. It creates a tough competition in online market. Businesses need to make effective digital
marketing strategies to make full use of marketing tools. It is also important for businesses to use
market data and insight to target a specific customer base.
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Maintaining Customer Privacy
Online businesses have access of sensitive information which they must guard. Data like
customer's bank detail and credit card detail can be used ethically and it is a business's
responsibility to safeguard the data from cybercriminals and hackers. If a business give the
access of such information to any unauthorised person or business then they breach the
confidentiality. Maintaining such sensitive data can be challenging for the business when they
start their business online (Nzabahimana, 2018). An online store should use encryption, anti
virus and other data protection tools to guard customers information.
Malware and Online Frauds
As online businesses are growing, online frauds are also increasing. Hackers and criminals can
use viruses and other computer programs to perform an illegal activity. The consequence of such
activities can impact business adversely. While moving their business online, malware, viruses
and online frauds can create problems for them which can cause business loss in finance and
reputation. Hackers can infect the computers with malicious software which can hijack
companies system and erase or block data. Businesses should regularly update software and
websites to keep their computers safe from these threats.
Building Trust with Customers
Every business need a loyal customers base to grow, online businesses also need loyal customers
who trust the business. It is important of online businesses to build trust with its customers.
Building trust is necessary but it can be challenging for businesses. Customers share various
information with online website while making a purchase. It is important that consumers feel that
their data is safe with the website. A single case of fraud activity can reduce consumers trust for
the business and hence it is challenging for businesses to maintain the trust.
Security and privacy measures businesses take when they go online.
Multi Layer Security – It is a helpful technique for companies to strengthen their security. By
putting a extra layer for security businesses can make a strong system which is hard for hackers
or fraudsters to breach (Agarwal, Makkar and Tran, 2020). Two factor authentication is an
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example of multi layer security. When a consumer log in a website they also receive one time
password which give them access to the website. This technique help websites to identify real
customers.
Secure Server Layer Certificate – One of the main advantage of the SSL certificate is that it
help to encrypt the data. A data went through various computers before reaching its final
location. The certificate ensures that the data is transferred to the intended system (Abdel-Basset
and et.al., 2022). If businesses don't install SSL certificate in their websites then websites data is
exposed to hackers. SSL certificate make data indecipherable for cyber criminals and hackers.
Anti Malware Software – Businesses use anti malware software that help businesses to identify
an block any malware software from their computers. Using good anti malware software is
important for online businesses because these software can render every hidden malware from
website. Regular scanning of website with such software can help business to maintain website
performance.
Due to widespread of COVID-19, many businesses are turning to provide their services online.
Analysing two tools, comparing their features, applications, suitability etc.
After the pandemic the demand to online products and services increased significantly and that's
why many businesses are now turning to provide their services online. There are many tools like
Zoom, Go to meeting, Team viewer, WebEx etc. Businesses can use these tools to improve their
performance in online business. Two tools which businesses can consider using while turning to
provide their services online are Zoom and Team Viewer.
Zoom
Covid-19 changed the way in which companies operate. Face to face meeting, conferences and
seminars were hard to host during the pandemic and businesses organised these event virtually.
To host a event virtually businesses need a platform and Zoom provided a platform to
businesses. It is a video conferencing service which help businesses to work remotely. It also
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provide many other services to fulfil business needs. Zoom has become extremely popular
among business.
Zoom have various features which can help a business in many ways. It allow host to create large
rooms in which so many people can join and interact with one other. Anyone from anywhere can
use Zoom all they need is a device. The tool also allow screen sharing so that during the
meetings one can share their desktop with other in the meeting (Dolamore, 2021). Zoom also
have a feature which allow members to record the meeting. The tool also have safety features
which allow intended people to join the meeting.
Companies can implement the use of the tool in various operations. Team meeting can be
organised via Zoom which will allow everyone to join the meeting. Businesses also have many
employee development programmes which they can organise through video conferencing.
Seminars and conferences can be held virtually which can save companies time and money and it
also facilitate everyone to join the meeting even if they are not around (Strous, von Solms and
Zúquete, 2021). When companies launch a new product they need to provide product training to
every employee. Big companies need to take many sessions in parts, by using Zoom company
can train their staff together in one go. Also employees can save the training sessions so that
they can learn from them in future. Educational institutions can also use the tool to teach students
who are not around. When businesses provide their service online they can provide it through
zoom also. For example a yoga trainer who want to provide his/her service online can provide it
through Zoom.
The tool can be beneficial for every business. It is a easy to use tool with many features which
makes it very useful for businesses. The tool is more useful and suitable for educational and
training businesses. Universities, schools and coaching centres who want to provide their service
online can use this tool as a platform to provide the service. Every business need better
communication to run smoothly and Zoom can help businesses to improve communication with
a organisation. Managers in a business have to perform so many tasks and activities the tool can
help business management to reduce their workload.
Team Viewer
It is a remote access software which allow businesses to assist customers and employees from
distance. The tool is very helpful for businesses who provide services to customers it is a fast and
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safe software. The tool allow a system to connect to different systems who are not around. Team
viewer is a computer software for online meetings and file transfer between computers (Chui,
Mak and Cheng, 2021). By entering other computers unique ID and password one can establish
the connection quickly.
Team Viewer also has many features and in term of security the tool is far better then Zoom. The
tool provide multi layer security and also have security features which prevent any unauthorised
person to enter the online meeting. Like Zoom Team Viewer also allow hosts to record remote
access sessions and meetings. The tool is compatible to use with computers, tablets and mobiles,
and all popular operating systems supports the software. It also allow users to share files between
devices. The tool is free to use for non commercial purposes.
Companies can use this tool to assist their customers and employees online. Employees in a
business sometimes face technical difficulties while working. IT department of a business can
access their employees device to resolve their problems. Companies can also use this tool to host
conferences and presentations. The tool can also be used in businesses to provide after sale
service to customers. Sometimes customers need assistance in how to use or install the product.
Businesses do to need to send employees at customers home to provide assistance by using this
tool.
The tool is useful for almost every business because in every business employees face some
technical troubles with their devices. Businesses that sell software can make full use of the tool
to assist their customers how to install and use the software. The tool also allow video
conferencing by which businesses can use this tool to teach or train their staff. IT department of
any business can use this tool to access different devices in a business. The tool is also known for
its safety feature so businesses where security is a major concern can also use this tool.
Operation department in a business can also use this tool to access different devices in the
organisation or to check the progress of different processes (Noman, Al-Maatouk and Noman,
2021). Employees in a business can use the tool to use the resources which are available in
someone else's device. A business can even access a server through this tool and the tool can be
used globally. The tool allow employees to stay productive from anywhere in the world. For
example, if an employee is out on vacation and for some urgent work he need to use his device
which is at workplace. Team Viewer can help employees in such situation. It will not only give
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assess to workplace device but will also allow unrestricted access to all files and applications
which are in workplace's device.
CONCLUSION
In this report, it is concluded that internet and technology has changed businesses in many ways.
After the pandemic the demand on online products and services has increased and businesses are
going online. Many businesses are providing their products and services online and that's why
the number of tools which can help online businesses is also increasing. In this digital era
everyone is trying to establish their business online and that's why competition is increasing in
online businesses. A business face many challenges when it start trading online and we discussed
these challenges in this report. Cyber crime is also increasing with online trade and security and
privacy of a customer has become a major concern for businesses. In this report we discussed
about two tools, Zoom and Team Viewer these tools can help businesses in many ways and both
the tools have their benefits.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Abdel-Basset and et.al., 2022. Deep Learning Techniques for IoT Security and Privacy (Vol.
997, pp. 1-257). Springer.
Abed, S.S., 2021. A literature review exploring the role of technology in business survival
during the Covid-19 lockdowns. International Journal of Organizational Analysis.
Agarwal, S., Makkar, S. and Tran, D.T. eds., 2020. Privacy Vulnerabilities and Data Security
Challenges in the IoT. CRC Press.
Chui, M.H.L., Mak, B.C.N. and Cheng, G., 2021, November. Exploring the Potential, Features,
and Functions of Small Talk in Digital Distance Teaching on Zoom: A Mixed-Method
Study by Quasi-experiment and Conversation Analysis. In International Symposium on
Emerging Technologies for Education (pp. 364-372). Springer, Cham.
Dolamore, S., 2021. Accessibility features in ZOOM to improve equity in the MPA classroom.
Journal of Public Affairs Education, 27(3), pp.376-379.
King, W.R., 2018. Developing strategic business advantage from information technology. In
Management Information Systems (pp. 233-249). Routledge.
Li, C.R., Zhang, E. and Han, J.T., 2021. Adoption of online follow-up service by patients: an
empirical study based on the elaboration likelihood model. Computers in human
behavior, 114, p.106581.
Nah, F.F.H. and Siau, K., 2020, July. Covid-19 pandemic–role of technology in transforming
business to the new normal. In International Conference on Human-Computer
Interaction (pp. 585-600). Springer, Cham.
Noman, H.A., Al-Maatouk, Q. and Noman, S.A., 2021, October. A Static Analysis Tool for
Malware Detection. In 2021 International Conference on Data Analytics for Business
and Industry (ICDABI) (pp. 661-665). IEEE.
Nzabahimana, J.P., 2018, May. Analysis of security and privacy challenges in Internet of
Things. In 2018 IEEE 9th International Conference on Dependable Systems, Services
and Technologies (DESSERT) (pp. 175-178). IEEE.
Savastano and et.al., 2019. Technology adoption for the integration of online–offline purchasing:
Omnichannel strategies in the retail environment. International Journal of Retail &
Distribution Management.
Strous, L., von Solms, S. and Zúquete, A., 2021. Security and privacy of the Internet of Things.
Computers & Security, 102, p.102148.
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