Mutual authentication in electronic commerce transactions.

Electronic commerce is a large and ever growing industry. Online transactions are returning ever-growing revenues to electronic merchants. The e-commerce industry is still facing a range of problems concerning the process of completion of online transactions. Such problems are connected to consumer fears dealing with the identity of online merchants, their security pre- cautions and methods for accepting online payments. This thesis develops and presents a Mutual Authentication Model (MAM), which addresses the problem of mutual authentication between online shoppers and merchants. The model combines existing technologies in the eld of cryp- tography, as well as the use of digital signatures and certi cates. This is done in a speci c manner as for the model to achieve mutual authentication between communicating parties, in an online transactions. The Mutual Authentication Model provides a process through which an online shopper can be quickly and transparently equipped with a digital identi cation, in the form of a digital certi cate of high trust, in order for this shopper to participate in an authen- ticated transaction within the MAM. A few of the advantages of the developed model include the prospect of decreased online credit fraud, as well as an increased rate of completed online transactions.Prof. S.H. von Solm