Online vs Offline Sales: Security Challenges in the Digital Age Report

This report explores the advantages and disadvantages of products and services sold both online and offline, focusing on the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in modern business. It compares and contrasts online and offline sales models, highlighting the suitability of various products for each platform. The report also delves into the privacy and security challenges associated with online services, including ransomware and IoT attacks, and proposes measures such as anti-virus software and firewalls to mitigate these risks. Furthermore, it examines electronic payment systems, analyzing their pros, cons, suitability, and applications, including the potential use of chip implants. The discussion encompasses the impact of ICT on business during the pandemic and the importance of robust cybersecurity strategies for protecting sensitive data and ensuring customer trust. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for businesses to adopt comprehensive security measures and adapt to the evolving digital landscape.

Integrated Professional
Skills in the Digital Age

Abstract
The report will include the advantages as well as disadvantage of products service traded
in both online or offline manner. It will also include the privacy challenges for gaining online
services and measures for reducing the privacy and security challenges. In addition to this, the
report will also cover the features of electronic payment along with advantages and disadvantage.

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Literature review..............................................................................................................................1
Describing about what products are suitable/ not suitable for selling through offline and online
platforms......................................................................................................................................1
Comparing and contrasting from the products and services sold through online and offline
mode.............................................................................................................................................2
Explaining the advantages and disadvantages of selling products through offline and online
channels........................................................................................................................................3
Discussing the privacy and security related to using online services..........................................4
Explaining about the challenges regarding setting online security and privacy features............4
Describing measures that can be taken for solving the privacy and security challenges ...........6
Defining the electronic payment with example...........................................................................7
Analysing the pros, cons, suitability and applications of electronic payment services linked
with chip implanted in human body.............................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

Introduction
The information and communication technology is termed as the set of technological
tools as well as resources which supports the company to transmit, store and share the
confidential information in most effective manner. The ICT covers many type of technologies in
it such as cloud computing, data management, telecommunications provision as well as the
internet. The application of ICT software allows the company to improve employee collaboration
with leaders that leads to increased productivity. This also help the leader to increase the
motivation and satisfaction level of employees in proper manner. In addition to this, it also
allows the organisation to make better management of remote workers by providing multi-
channel communication. The ICT also supports the firm to reduce the cost of communicating
with international clients as well as workers. Moreover, the usage of ICT enables the company to
improve its data security features by setting clear cybersecurity goals, perform risk assessments
and backing up sensitive data in regular manner. The main aim of this report will be to analyse
the critical aspects of various information and communication technologies and its role for
improving security services. This report will describe the advantages and disadvantages related
to products and services sold on online as well as offline mode. Apart from this, the report will
evaluate the privacy and security problems along with the measures that can reduce cyber
security issues in proper manner. Furthermore, this report will explain about the electronic
payment system and also illustrate its disadvantages, advantages as well as applications.
Literature review
Describing about what products are suitable/ not suitable for selling through offline and online
platforms
Online business:
In this type of business, the goods are sold by taking use of digital and E-commerce
platforms such as through official website, Amazon, E-bay and many more(Law, Leung and
Chan, 2019).
The products that will be suitable to sold via online trading platforms are:
 By using the E-commerce platforms the products such as gadgets, books, furniture as
well as all electronic accessories and appliances can be sold.
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 The digital goods like different types of software, e-books, music and videos can be
traded in effective mode.
 In addition to this, the transportation tickets and insurance can also provided to
customers by using the online mode of trading.
The products that will be not be suitable are:
 The alcoholic items are not allowed to sell by using E-commerce channels.
 The trading of war related items such as guns are prohibited to sell in online
mode(Mudjanarko and et.al., 2019).
 The tobacco items such as cigarettes and cigar are also illegal to trade.
 The perishable items such as fruits and vegetables are also not traded via online mode.
Offline business:
In this, the products are sold through physical shops as well as stores.
The products suitable for selling via offline platforms are:
 The clothing items and shoes are good to sell through the retail stores.
 The cosmetic items, books, home appliances and home decors can be sold in proper
manner.
 The food items are generally sold with the support of physical shops.
The goods not suitable for selling from offline platform are:
 The software products, E-books, songs, videos and movies can not sold from the offline
retail stores(Singh and et.al., 2019).
Comparing and contrasting from the products and services sold through online and offline mode
Basis Online selling Offline selling
Relationship with customers By using the E-commerce
platforms for selling products
the business owner fails to
make direct relationship with
their customers as no face to
face interaction takes place.
The selling of products
through offline mode allows
the business owner to easily
make long term relationship
with their customers by direct
interactions.
Product return rate The product return rate in In this, the product return rate
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using online platforms are high
as the customer can not choose
what works best for them. So
if their satisfaction level was
not meet they return their
products. This can be seen
more in clothing
apparels(Ahmad, Azhar and
Chowdhury, 2019).
is low as the customer can
easy try the products and make
proper decisions after
comparing it with many ranges
of products in terms of price
and quality.
Operation cost Here, the cost of setting
operations are very low as the
establishment of big machines
are not necessary. In addition
to this, the business owner also
does not need to higher lots of
people and pay rent.
In this, the operation cost of
setting offline business can be
much higher due to the large
investments made in procuring
land, raw materials as well as
hiring large number of
specialised workers.
Explaining the advantages and disadvantages of selling products through offline and online
channels
Online business:
Advantages
 The incorporation of online trading platform can allow the owner of company to
minimise the building overhead costs by employing the remote staff members leading to
low cost of office building(Khan, Sana and Arif, 2020). The usage of online platform can also support business enterprises in reaching to the
large number of global customers in effective manner. In addition to this, the firm can
also easily identify demands of customer by using web analytics tool.
Disadvantages
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 If the online business fails to meet the demands raised by customer then the business
owner can be exposed to large number negative reviews that can lower its customer
market share.
 The online business have a high risk of falling into the trap of unethical hackers which
can cause them huge financial loss.
Offline business:
Advantages
 The offline business can support the business owner to develop strong ties with their
customer by making eye to eye interactions and satisfying their demands in most
effective manner(Shobande and Ogbeifun, 2022). It will support the business company to motivate the positive behaviour of customers as
this can make them feel less cheated.
Disadvantages
 Through using the offline platform, the business owner can end up in targeting less
number of customers as compared with using online tools. This method can be less
profitable for business persons when trying to build business on global markets.
 The usage of offline business can increase the volume of overhead expenses to significant
level as the business owner have to invest in purchasing machines, raw materials and also
hire large number of staff members. The business owner also have to acquire land that
may not perform well in terms of sale.
Discussing the privacy and security related to using online services
The online privacy is considered as the level of privacy and security which supports the
organisation to minimise the power of unethical hackers in effective manner. The online security
is connected with providing protections to the personal and financial data, communications as
well as preferences(Prasad and Rohokale, 2020). The online privacy and security strategies can
support the businesses to eradicate security problems by taking into consideration steps such as
using anti-virus software, making strong passwords, reviewing site security measures as well as
undertaking stricter privacy settings. In addition to this, the online privacy settings support the
companies in doing their marketing activities with the support of digital marketing platforms by
giving stricter security options in order to reduce leakage of customer's confidential information.
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Explaining about the challenges regarding setting online security and privacy features
The challenges recognised in the phase of setting out cyber security measures can
negatively effect the organisations to loose its confidential data related to customer personal
information. The below mentioned points explains about some challenges in online security and
privacy which are:
Ransomware attacks:
This type of attack can be dangerous for the business owner as it covers the hacking of
user's private information and then stop them to access their own data until the fixed ransom
amount is paid. The ransomware attacks can be critical for the business owner as the business
owner can not access the information which crucial for running day to day operations(Ulucak
and Khan, 2020).
IoT attacks:
The IoT devices involves devices such as computing, digital as well as mechanical
devices that independently transmit the important data over the network. The safeguarding of the
IoT devises can become biggest problem for the companies when implementing anti-hacking
strategies. The attack in IoT devises can be a great loss for the organisation as it can result into
leakage of private information related to business strategies.
Cloud attacks:
The other type of challenge can occur in the form of cloud attack. This can negatively
impact the image of company if the private information of their customers or business partners
can come under the contact of unethical hands. They can misuse those information in meeting
their own selfish objectives.
Software vulnerabilities:
The other issue when making online security strategies can be due to software
vulnerabilities. If the business software's are not updated in the timely manner then the hackers
can easily find loopholes and can take advantage by asking money for giving access to personal
data of business company.
Outdated hardware:
The new software updates can reduce the risk of software problems but may not properly
update the hardware or the situation may occur when the new updates cannot become compatible
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with hardware of device(Zhang and Wei, 2022). As the result this leaves the outdated hardware
of which the hacker can take advantage by attacking and collect confidential data of business.
Describing measures that can be taken for solving the privacy and security challenges
In order to solve the problems related to security challenges the various strategies can be
taken into consideration. The below mentioned are necessary actions for protecting from attack
of hackers are:
Anti-virus software:
The installation of effective anti-virus software such as Quick Heal can be very protective
for the firm in terms of identifying and mitigating various type of viruses, spyware as well as
unethical practises by hackers(Wang, Zhou and Wang, 2021). However, the business owner
should update the anti-virus software in regular manner so that hacker can not take advantage of
any loopholes.
Locks:
The virtual locks can provide simplest type of security to business owners by forming an
extra layer of security on the electronic devices like mobile and computer. In this, the hacker can
not see the data of business users without entering the password in each period of activity.
Firewalls:
The installation of firewall when doing business activities can help the owner to protect
its network and computers against any type of outside attacks. The main advantage of firewall is
that it supports the organisation to effectively filter the unnecessary traffics and can also protect
both the hardware as well as software products by preventing malicious codes along with
blocking cyber security risks.
Virtual Private Network:
The usage of VPN tools can effectively enables the company to protect itself from the
malicious and unethical type of attacks. In this, the VPN can support the organisation in securing
their internet connection by properly encrypting the transfer of confidential information(Shahzad
and et.al., 2020).
Strong and unique password:
The firm can lower the risk of cyber security attacks by forming the strong as well as
unique password that includes numbers, special signs, using capital letters and many more. It has
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been said that password of at-least 15 characters can save the business owner from many cyber
attacks in proper manner.
Defining the electronic payment with example
Electronic payment:
It is also known as e-payments in which the trading transactions related to paying bills
online are practised by using the digital platforms. The most important way for initiating
electronic payments covers using credit cards, virtual card, electronic checks as well as debit
cards. The electronic type of payment allows the business organisation to automatically give
payments to the suppliers by collecting electronic invoice directly from them and initiating the
process of payment in the digital mode via credit card, debit care and through other type of
electronic payments(Chen and et.al., 2019). The practising of electronic payment methods helps
the business owner to eradicate the hard cost and extra fees connected with B2B type of
payments like check. This in turn assists the company in minimising the expenses related to
paper, postage along with the manual labour expenses.
Analysing the pros, cons, suitability and applications of electronic payment services linked with
chip implanted in human body
The discovery of human microchipping also known as Short range radio frequency
identification technology can allow the humans to hold all the necessary information that they
have in their wallets. In addition to this, it provides the support in number of ways such as
transmitting identity information when walking through check point and enabling doing faster
payments by just waving hands on the wireless payment platform. In the year 1998, the professor
of cybernetics of Reading university was recognised as first person who implanted this chip in
his hand.
Advantages:
 The usage of RFID chips helps the human to forget the feeling of worry about loosing
their wallets as this technology allows them to store critical payment information through
which they can initiate payments just by waving their hands, taking public transport in
easy manner(Huang and et.al., 2020).
 It will benefit in easier identification of person as it enables them to carry all the critical
information in their hands such as credit card data, passports, ID'S as well as other type
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of personal information. Hence the person can save big amount of time in payment
process related to purchase of items or using any transportation services.
 This revolutionary technology can also support the person to react more faster during the
outcome of health emergencies as it will enable the medical personnel to have easy
access on their health data in most effective manner. It can also assist the individuals to automatically connect to many other devices such as
starting the care automatically, opening first door as soon they approach etc. This
technology allows the person to bring digital identity in the real world(Lu, 2018).
Disadvantages:
 The RFID chips can pose many health related threats to the users as there is no guarantee
that it always stay in same place. In worst conditions, the chips can migrate to different
body locations that can become difficult to identify during the complex medical
emergences. In relation to this, the other risks such as electrical hazards, negative tissue
reactions, life threatening reactions can also takes place. The usage of these advanced microchips can take away the freedom of choice from the
hands of person. It can limit the freedom of users as the service provider can demand
more information in order to gain more access.
Suitability:
The usage of microchip technology is suitable for the business owners as it can allow
them to make instant payments to the vendor in most effective manner. It can also allow them to
use the transportation services in the most fastest manner as the payment can be made much
easier along with the personal information related with passport, credit cards can be easily shared
without the need of keeping wallets on hand.
Application:
This unique technology is applied with an objective of speeding the daily routines of user
data as well as making their life more convenient and easier to live. The unique chip can support
the users to store diverse type of information in proper manner like emergency contact details,
social media profiles, E-tickets, credit and debit card information and much more(Arvedsen and
Hassert, 2020).
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Conclusion
It has been concluded from the above report that information and communication
technology can allow the business companies to optimise their business operations in order to
gain large number of customers in effective manner. It has been analysed that the technology
allows the business owner to positively improve the motivation level of workers by giving them
opportunity to showcase their skills and knowledge in most appropriate manner. In addition to
this, it has been evaluated that the application of ICT software's has made more efficient
communication tools and market analytics tool leading to higher growth and development. It
also helps the business owner to assist in number of business activities associated with design,
manufacturing, distribution, sales along with identification of customer and employee issues.
This report has successfully covered the advantages as well as disadvantages of product and
services sold in online and offline mode. It has also discussed the difference between the online
and offline business activities. Apart from this, the privacy as well as security challenges are also
identified along with the measures for solving the security problems associated with using online
trading platforms. The report has also included the definition of electronic payment and also
illustrated the advantages, disadvantages, suitability as well as application of using the Human
chip for initiating electronic payment services.
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