Lab: E-Commerce Excursion

CS 102

Oct. 5, 2001

The purpose of this lab is to visit and use an e-commerce site: Dell Computer (www.dell.com). We'll look at their security and privacy policies, configure a computer for purchase (learning one or two more things about PCs along the way), and go through the ``check-out'' process. Pay attention and be critical of what you see along the way.

The following questions will be the subject of the next quiz, along with a few questions of a more general nature on this topic. You may refer to one page (both sides) of notes for the next quiz. I suggest including the answers to these questions so that you don't have to memorize them. Don't forget the questions on the reverse side of this sheet!!!

E-Commerce Questions

Look on the Dell home page for their online security practices page and visit the page to answer these following questions.

1. What information does Dell collect? Why? How long do they keep information? Where do they keep it? (In your view, is it safe from hackers? Explain.)

2. How do they use this information internally? Do they share this information? How much? How do they select the companies with whom they share information?

3. Can you control how Dell uses this information to contact you with advertising? Can you opt-out of any information sharing policies?

4. If you get a three year warranty from Dell and something breaks, does Dell send a service technician to your home, or do you ship the PC back to Dell?

5. Does Dell carefully explain how it protects your information? What steps do they take? In your view, are these adequate? Why or why not?

6. Does Dell take any special steps to protect children? What are they? In your view, are these adequate? Why or why not?

7. What is encryption and how does it work?

8. What is a cookie and how does Dell use them?

9. What's this I hear about the Pentium III processor serial number?

PC Questions

Go back to the Dell home page. Go to the for home and home office. Follow the Shopping for a desktop link and choose Dimension 4300. Customize & price one out --- pretend you have $1,600 to spend. Choose Windows XP and Office XP. Use the ``Learn More'' links to answer these questions:

1. What's the difference between Pentium IV and Celeron?

2. What's the largest hard drive you can select?

3. What's the difference between CRT and LCD monitors?

Once you've finished shopping, add your PC to your shopping cart and check-out. When you get to the check out page, the web server should have sent your a secure page. Answer these questions:

1. How do you know the page is secure? (What clue does the browser give you?)

2. Who issued the certificate and who does it belong to?

3. How many bits of security were used in encrypting the web page? (128 bits is the highest level of security.)