Handbook of Information Security, Volume 1, Key Concepts, Infrastructure, Standards, and Protocols

Digital Economy

Nirvikar Singh, University of California, Santa Cruz

Introduction

Information Technology, the Digital Economy, and E-Commerce

Defining the Digital Economy

E-Commerce

E-Business

Size and Growth of the Digital Economy

Internet Use

Types and Measures of Online Transactions

Information Technology and GDP

Information Technology, Growth, and Productivity

Implications for Markets and Organizations

Information and Markets

Information as an Economic Product

Market Structure and Strategy

Changes in Firm Organization

Security

Security Issues

Security Techniques

Legal and Market Approaches

Government Policies

Intellectual Property

Privacy

Antitrust Policy and Regulation

International Trade

Work, Play, and Communities

Location of Work

Leisure Activities

Online Communities

Conclusion

Glossary

Cross References

References

Further Reading

INTRODUCTION

“IT and the Internet amplify brain power in the same way that the technologies of the industrial revolution amplified muscle power.”

—Bradford DeLong, Professor of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, quoted in Woodall (2000)

The purpose of this chapter is to explain what the “digital economy” is and how it fits into broader economic trends that are shaping the economies of the United States and other countries. Essentially, the term “digital economy” can refer to the use of digital information technology in various forms of economic activity and its effects on economic activity. As such, the term includes more specific ...