ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION ACT 2000 Raashida & Sangeetha

WHY WAS THE ACT NEEDED?  They wanted people to feel secure that any electronic documentation or electronic contracts were as genuine and legally binding as those on paper. Where money is involved, businesses need to be confident that documents transmitted electronically such as orders or invoices are genuine and have not been altered in any way. They also need to feel secure that others cannot access any confidential or personal information transmitted electronically.  The electronic communications act 2000 was passed with the intention of creating framework that would provide that confidence to individuals and businesses.

THE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS ACT  There are two parts to the Electronic Communications Act Part 1 Allows Cryptography serveries in the UK Part 2 Allows Electronic Signatures  Both of these are important for transactions to take place electronically (e.g. via the internet)  It also means that legislations and contracts don’t can be electronically updated and not by hand.

CRYPTOGRAPHY  It is a method of scrambling information, this increases security. Therefore it can only be accessed by who needs to access it.  Its been used by banks and the government for years. It could be helpful to other companies that electronically trade.  The government has a list of cryptography providers. These can be an option for companies, they don’t have to use those, but as trust is required they might wish to do so.

ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES  An electronic signature is a digital mark, code or other symbol that is associated with a particular individual. It can be used to sign an electronic document and is used in place of a hand written signature.  It can confirm that the communication is authentic and hasn’t been tampered with.  The owner of the electronic signature can be checked and verified in several ways, for example through a certificate provided by a special provider.

BENEFITS  Businesses and individuals engaging in e-commerce can feel secure that their transactions are safe and secure.  Businesses and individuals can feel secure that documents or contacts signed with an electronic signature are as legally binding as those signed by hand.

PROBLEMS WITH THE ACT  Even though this act means that digital signatures have been legally binding for many years, most people have never heard of them or are still suspicious about their use. It is likely to take many years before their use becomes acceptable and commonplace.  Many people still distrust the security of digital signatures. The very first official digital signature used after passing the act was ‘hijacked’ within 24 hours of its creation.