Cultural and social aspects of security and privacy the critical elements of trusted online service

The lack of trust is identified as the key concern for consumers in the eCommerce environment. Service providers attempt to address this concern by implementing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems for online security and privacy and to enhance user confidence. Much research has focused on the technical implementation of online security and privacy systems. This paper discusses social and cultural influence as critical elements of a trusted online service environment. It suggests a mechanism for enhancing trust in e-commerce that takes account of these influences.