How is SET used today? Need help with a college project

[Ethan James]

Hey guys,

Long time no see or chat with. I am hoping some of you can help me out. I am in a Secure E-Commerce class and have been given an assignment to find out how SET (Secure Electronic Transactions) are used today. I have been informed that this is being used in Europe or at least in parts of Europe. Can any of you enlighten me and maybe give me some information regarding this?

[Spoon Flux]

i think it starts with an email to the user saying:
"hello! i have $419 million but my government has been overthrown and has frozen my assets. please sent me $10,000 to help me barely escape alive so i can get to the money and send half of it to you. thank you. love, mr. nigerian."

[Ethan James]

Is that what is really going on? What I am referring to is something that has been established by Visa, Mastercard, and other financial entities to allow credit card information or online purchases to happen on a non secure connecion instead of having to use a SSL connection to encrypt everything. I hope that it is not being used in that manner you described.

[akakjs]

Is that what is really going on? What I am referring to is something that has been established by Visa, Mastercard, and other financial entities to allow credit card information or online purchases to happen on a non secure connecion instead of having to use a SSL connection to encrypt everything. I hope that it is not being used in that manner you described.mm maybe it's been "branded" differently in the UK. But I've never heard of SET, and I work in a fairly large ecommerce company :)

Ok I had a look at the wikipedia entry for SET, and I've still never heard of it :P I don't think it would be very successful because of the higher level of technical competency it requires for the customer. For example at work there's no way we could try and educate 50% of our client base in how to use it. It's also not a phased implementation, it's an all or nothing affair which means if we did implement it we'd have to support "traditional" Credit card over SSL transactions as well, and I know if a customer is presented with a ultra-secure system or a moderately-secure but easier system, they will almost always choose the moderately-secure system.

Stuff like 3D-Secure (Verified by Visa et al), stands a much better chance of being successfully adopted, as it takes a well establish and widely understood payment mechanic (aka the credit card :) ) and adds security to it. Still 3D-Secure is a pita due to the total lack of explanation the banks have been giving their end-customers. They'd rather we (the merchants) footed the bill/pain for the introduction of 3D-Secure.


[edit number 2]ok after some more reading this looks like an ancient first attempt at making card transactions secure on the internet (the stuff I found had Netscape references in it!). So I think I can summarize and say I don't think it's supported by our payment gateway, and I have never-ever seen it on any ecommerce site I've used. :) [/edit number 2]

akakjs

[Ethan James]

That gives me something to work on. I emailed my prof to ask him where I can find examples of how it is being used today and his reply, word for work mind you is, "Should be used in Europe." From all of my research and looking all I am finding is something called SEMPER, http://cordis.europa.eu/infowin/acts/rus/projects/ac026.htm. But I am not getting any information off of how it is being used. With all the folks on here who are from Europe, and in IT, I figured it would be a good place to get any information. And like akakjs has said, it is not really being used.

[Eyedoll]

I work for a subcompany of Belgium's national railroads. We created and manage the applications and programs to handle all national and international bookings AND payments for stations, home-users and travel angencies. I have never heard of SET in my life, STD's on the other hand...

[Tomcatt]

... he has first hand experience with.

[Eyedoll]

After numerous gf's and never used a condom in my life i'm proud (read lucky) to say i've never had any. And yes when turning the magical 25 i've did a full checkup and it was blank. :tip:

[Spoon Flux]

typically you don't get stds from inflatables.

[Eyedoll]

Don't have xp with them, how do they feel spoon?

[Spoon Flux]

strangely enough, a lot like your mother.

[Eyedoll]

That's not a nice thing to say, but i guess it's forgiven when it comes from someone who lives under a rock and howls at the moon when it's full.

[Spoon Flux]

i'll have you know it's not just any ordinary rock, it's a geode (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geode)!

and as for that moon, well it deserves it (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/12/07)!

[Cytech]

I work alot with SSL and have never heard of SET, just did some research and can find no where in Germany that actually uses it. I also buy a shed load of stuff online and have never come across it.....

[kalkin]

ok, so answer to your professor: practical application for SET = toilet paper.

[akakjs]

ok, so answer to your professor: practical application for SET = toilet paper.basically nice theory when the internet was used only by academics and geeks, but far far too technical for everyday users.

akakjs

[Ethan James]

Thank you all for your responses that were on topic and applicable. To those that trolled pretty much, go whore another thread please.

I pretty much said that it was intended to be used in such and such manner, but that it ultimately failed and is not in use today.

[Spoon Flux]

ooh, if it's used for xxx then i probably do use it!

[myrna ray]

try this link
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci214194,00.html