Web services for rural areas—Security challenges in development and use

Web services (WS) are the modern response of traders and online service providers to satisfying the
increasing needs and demands of the digital communities. WS formation and operation is based on a
software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network.
Security is of paramount importance to WS and the ability to measure and evaluate the level of security
available is key to establishing and continuing to develop the level of trust based on reputation developed
by the provider of the WS. The greatest challenge in offering secure WS is to groups of people where the
level of expertise of the user is low and the need for transparency of the service provision quite high, such
as the case with services offered primarily to people in rural areas. Providers of such services face many
challenges in balancing the requirements for performance, interoperability, and security against the cost
of implementing secure systems and running profitable operations through low income generating WS.
A review of services offered, of the users and the challenges in building online trust among providers and
users are discussed for the case of rural areas in the United Kingdom.

Citation:
2. Pimenidis E, Georgiadis C.K. (2010) Web Services for rural areas – Security challenges in Development and Use, Special Issue on Information and Communication Technologies in Biological and Earth Sciences, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. (COMPAG), Elsevier, Vol. 70, No 2, pp. 348-354 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2009.07.016.