Conceptualizing and Implementing an Information Security Strategy for Internet Billing Systems

The decentralized nature of Internet billing sys- tems demands a careful evaluation of the pantheon of se- curity issues in order to avoid the potential occurrence of business risks that could not be easily mitigated. Under- standing that Internet security is not merely a local tech- nology issue implemented at each one of the endpoints of the interorganizational application, this paper presents an inte- grated approach based on a rigorous multi-level and multi- dimensional framework. Through synthesis, the framework evaluates and uses the available tools and techniques in a consistent manner, aiming to aid the implementation of the most effective security strategy possible. Its use and ap- plicability is demonstrated over 'Billing Mall' - an Inter- net billing system currently being developed for the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE). Keywords—Network security, cryptography, information security strategy, Internet billing systems, electronic com- merce.