Privacy is a major concern for security in Electronic & ecommerce transactions and is done to protect data and privacy

of customers so that they trust using it. Also any breaches affecting customers, most imp. citizens of a nation can do damage to the reputation and business of that nation where more and more businesses are going online.[1] Privacy indeed should be a fundamental human right and in Sultanate of Oman, its made as a Law by Royal Decrees issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, ruler of Oman. Information Technology Authority (ITA) of Oman is the autonomous agency that gives recommendations to the governing council, gives legal advice regarding this and follows up the governing bodies to implement this as bills. The Sultanate of Oman Electronic Transactions Act, promulgated by Royal Decree No. 69/2008 is in its basic structure giving lots of emphasis in protection of data used in ecommerce. [2] This law governs a contract, agreement or communication fully or partially implemented through ecommerce transactions or e-mails. The Act consists of nine parts and in Article 54 the major parts of it are there. The bill was drafted and was inducted into the Law Codes in the year 2008. It has taken guidelines from the studies of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) [ for privacy ] etc,. E-commerce is made formal by using digital signatures; digital certificates and email correspondences with digital ids are also made valid and possess all protection under non repudiation. The Law facilitates ecommerce transaction along with allowing eapplications and services for government/banking/ service sectors. Privacy will have to be protected in this scenario because as all transactions, contract, agreement and anything like wise done electronically is considered valid by the law. As I can observe the law is strict in terms of the penalties and punishments too. As per the Act, electronic-signatures are fully supported and valid in the formation of contracts. All ecommerce transactions thus support all types of

electronic collaboration/selling & buying. Privacy and data-protection is enhanced by authentication for integrity and confidentiality. The law provides cryptography as a means for privacy and is used to protect transactions online (confidentiality). Authentication verifies who is who, so that hackers cannot gain access to the consignee or if corruption happens it can be easily identified. As e-business collects all user data including financial, the Act has ensured adequate protection of privacy in matters relating to personal information in computer systems [2] So in short that means that the E-transaction Act of Oman caters to protection of private data of an individual and upholds his right to perform valid e-transactions by which only the intended recipients will be provided access of his protected data which are verified by proper authentication mechanisms. Any business who wishes to get digital signatures for their use has to get it approved by the I.T.Authority through a formal process. [4] The underlying principle is to make private data secure, so that the fundamental right of Privacy be upheld under all circumstances. Reference:1. Andrs Jri (2009) Data Protection Law An Introduction.[Online]. http://www.dataprotection.eu/pmwiki 2. Blog article- Posted by admin http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-law-articles/electronictransaction-law-of-oman-a-review-517399.html#ixzz0qSV7UoNa 3. Oman IT Act Article online http://brobson4judge.com/?p=150 4. Electronic Transaction Law of Oman: a Review http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-law-articles/electronictransaction-law-of-oman-a-review-517399.html