Per Kamerman

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When browsing the web on Google Chrome, everyone sees it and takes it very seriously: the message on the address bar that shows whether a site is secure or not. Whenever I encounter this, I am quite hesitant to further browse the website, but I never knew what the actual implications were, therefore I researched this phenomenon. It turns out, this message is linked to an SSL-certificate. When a domain name owns it, the site is considered secure by Google. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. The normal HTTP (the application protocol) will turn into HTTPS, which actually only implies that the ‘S’ for secure is added. This secures a connection between the browser on the one hand and the web server on the other hand. This ensures that sensitive data transactions are secure, which is especially important when a site handles credit card payments or login data. An SSL-certificate can easily be purchased, usually at a low cost, with the only condititon that it is bought from a trusted vendor.

Even though it is relatively easy to acquire an SSL-certificate, many websites still do not own a certificate, which is why Google took action. In its latest Google Chrome update, companies without an SSL-certificate now get ‘punished’. Instead of a small notification saying ‘not secure’, soon all websites that are not secure will have an ugly red label in the address bar, with the intention of scaring off users into sharing sensitive data on these sites.

From a business perspective, this is a very extraordinary move by Google, since this normally would be the responsibility of a governmental data security institution. Is Google losing track of its true strategy or does it still contribute to Google’s ideals and values? I would love to hear your opinions on this!

Sources:

https://www.globalsign.com/en/ssl-information-center/what-is-an-ssl-certificate/
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/7495147/google-chrome-update-websites-warning/

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At the start of 2018, the supermarket industry faced an enormous change. In Seattle, Amazon opened their first ‘Amazon Go’ store. This supermarket can be considered to be a ‘smart’ supermarket. In this supermarket, customers grab products from the shelves as usual. When a product is taken from the shelves, this product is linked to the customer, through the Amazon Go smartphone app. When walking out of the store, all the bought products are charged to the customer’s credit card. Due to this technology, the customer will not need to pass a register, thereby replacing some of the traditional supermarket staff. When first hearing the news about the Amazon Go launch, it all seemed very far away: It was launched by the big Amazon and the first store was located in Seattle. Recently, however, a similar disruptive technology has hit the Dutch markets.

In September 2018, major supermarket chain Albert Heijn implemented their Albert Heijn Tap to Go system, which, in some way, is very comparable to the Amazon Go system. Here, customers use a special card, with which they scan their product by holding the card on the price tag, which then registers the product. When the customer has collected and scanned all their products, they can walk out the store: the products are automatically charged to them, since the card is linked to their personal account. The system is now only used in two stores, where normal shopping is also still possible. Ahold plans to use the system in all of their approximately 80 AH to go stores.

So, what seemed far away when Amazon launched it, is something that will soon be found at every AH to go and thus every large train station in the Netherlands. This technology seems very disruptive and could soon disrupt the entire supermarket industry, since Ahold shows that they can easily implement this in their 80 to go stores. The question is, however: Will this disruptive technology completely change the way supermarkets operate or will it still be a while until we will never have to pass the register again?

Sources:

Reuters (2018, January 22). Amazon’s first checkout-free grocery store opens on Monday. Retrieved September 29, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/21/amazons-first-automated-store-opens-to-public-on-monday

Smit, R. (2018, September 24). Retrieved September 29, 2018, from https://fd.nl/ondernemen/1271322/eerste-albert-heijn-winkel-zonder-kassa

Image source: https://nieuws.ah.nl/ah-to-go-test-kassaloos-shoppen-tap-grab-en-go/

SSL-certificates: How Google becomes a security authority

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Amazon Go in the Netherlands: AH Tap to Go

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