Organizations cannot ignore the potential of e-business. Companies now have the opportunity to integrate supply-chains with their strategic partners, which lets them cut costs and accelerate business processes. These companies can reach new customers with e-commerce applications, and then keep those customers happy with online customer service.

Companies can improve employee satisfaction and lower administrative overheads with intranet applications. Indeed, organizations that ignores these potential e-business benefits run the risk of becoming uncompetitive. These new e-business applications often replace human relationships with electronic interfaces. As Web applications become the interfaces to customers and partners, businesses need to provide the same level of trust and confidence through these Web interfaces that they have historically provided. The security technology that underpins these e-business applications is vital in building this trust, enabling partners and customers to have confidence in the electronic relationship.

Security is, in effect, the glue strengthening the relationships and helping to tie a business more closely to its customers and partners. These requirements mean that the security technology needed for e-business is very different from the tools traditionally used to protect an enterprise network. Lets move ahead and understand definition of security for businesses involved in online trade.