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Authenticate - To
verify the identity of an Internet user or computer or
person. For example, Web server certificates help
authenticate the Internet site or merchant.
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Co-location Hosting -
A hosting arrangement in which the client owns the PC
that is running their eBusiness, but the PC is located at
an ISPs data centre where the ISP is responsible for
day-to-day management of the PC
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Cryptography - The
process of scrambling and unscrambling information so that
only the intended parties can read it. For example, when
you send your payment data over the Internet for a
purchase, cryptography can prevent everyone but the
intended merchant from reading your credit card number and
card expiration date
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Dedicated Hosting - A
hosting arrangement in which the merchant pays the
Internet Service Provider to host their eBusiness on a
dedicated server or PC (no other web sites are running on
the server)
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DNS - The Domain Name
System is how the Internet links together the thousands of
Networks the Web comprises. Each computer on the Internet
has one or more Domain Names such as "www.mycompany.com".
Most popular top level domains include:
com.au - Used for Commercial and personal sites
edu.au - Educational institution
gov.au - Government organizations
net.au - Typically used by Internet infrastructures
organizations
org.au - Used by Non-profit organization
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Domain Name - A
unique name that represents each computer on the Internet
(eg. www.mycompany.com). The DNS converts the domain name
requested by an Internet user into a numeric IP Address
(the IP stands for Internet Protocol) which will be used
by Internet communication equipment to locate the desired
site on the Internet.
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Encryption - The
process of converting data into "unreadable
code" so that only the intended recipients can
understand the content. Encryption is necessary as
sensitive information is often sent from one computer to
another via the public Internet. It provides a degree of
security should the information fall into the wrong hands
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Homepage - The
opening Web page for a Web site or eBusiness. This is the
first thing consumers will see when they come to your Web
site. It should contain an introduction to your business
and links to other information available on your Web site.
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Hosting - Getting
someone else to run your web site and connect it to the
Internet. Merchants typically use Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) to host their eBusiness
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HTML - HyperText
Mark-up Language. The text-based language used to construct
web pages, interpreted by web browsers.
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HTTP - HyperText
Transfer Protocol. The standard way browsers and Internet
sites communicate on the Internet. When you click on a
link, you are sending a request to see that file (or
information) to the http protocol on the computer hosting
the web site. The file is then transmitted to your web
browser.
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Hyperlink - A
highlighted, underlined phrase or word on a web page that
can be clicked to go to another part of the page or even
to another web site.
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Internet Service Provider
(ISP) - Companies that specialize in providing
Internet Access and web hosting services for merchants and
other companies
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IP - Also known as
TCP/IP, IP stands for Internet Protocol and is the
standard way computers communicate on the Internet.
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Java - An Internet
programming language used by those building web sites.
Java programs are referred to as applets. Java applets are
usually small in size and can be downloaded from the
Internet and executed as part of the web page.
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Payment gateway -
Software or service that transmits credit card transaction
information (eg. credit card number, purchase amount,
credit card expiry date, etc.) from the merchants
eBusiness into the credit card processing networks (owned
by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discovery etc) for
approval.
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Payment processor -
Company that accepts credit card and other payment
transaction information from merchants and passes it
along, in the accepted format, into the credit card
processing network for approval. Payment processors often
provide many other services to merchants such as credit
card transaction reports, and help reconcile credit card
transactions.
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SSL - Secure Sockets
Layer. A security standard used to create a secure
encrypted session between the user's browser and the Web
site they are communicating with. Merchants use SSL to
protect the safety, privacy, and reliability of payment
data travelling over the Internet. Web server certificates are
required to create an SSL session.
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Virtual Hosting - A
hosting arrangement in which the merchant's eBusiness is
hosted (or run) on the same PC or server as many other
merchant's eBusinesses. This is usually the lowest cost
hosting offered by ISPs
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Web Server certificates -
Digital certificates that enable a merchant's eBusiness to
establish Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) sessions with a
consumer's browser. These digital certificates are unique
to each merchant and are installed on the merchant's
server or PC.
