Many online users have general perceptions about the Web that can determine their behavior toward all online companies. A critical perception involves the risk involved in buying online. Perceived risk, an essential element in the literature on trust (Mayer et al., 1995; Doney & Cannon, 1997; Pavlou, 2003), has two dimensions: behavioral and environmental. Behavioral risks are related to the actions of specific online companies. Environmental risks are related to the infrastructure of the Web itself. Perceived environmental risk can have a sweeping effect on Web user intention to buy online. Empirical studies have shown that trust in the security of the Web in general can increase trust in a specific company (McKnight et al., 2002b). The magnitude of that effect, however, can be smaller compared to the impact of company-specific perceptions, such as its reputation and size.
Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions among the general Web user population about the security of the Web and the Internet in general. For example, many online users are still concerned that their information can be intercepted and stolen while in transit from their computer to the company servers. There is little general education about the strength of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol used widely on the Web and many Web sites do not adequately assure their customers that they use SSL sessions to secure their transactions. There is also a general fear about providing personal and financial information to a company which exists only in a virtual environment and with which the customer has had no physical experience at all. Customers seem more inclined to trust giving their credit card numbers to a gas attendant or a waiter because they are physically present, even though the security of their transaction in that case is not greater (and may actually be lower) than when they provide it to a Web site that uses an SSL secure session.