The Hong Kong Society of Accountants (HKSA) plans in June to introduce Web-assessment standards similar to those in North America to enhance the protection of on-line shoppers.
The standards are necessary in light of the rapid development of Internet related business, HKSA president Kam Pok-man said.
'With the increasing number of customers who shop on-line, it is necessary to have recognised standards to assess the security levels of the Web sites,' he said.
The standards will allow public certified accountants who have taken a course on Web assessments to issue a Webtrust seal to sites that meet certain standards.
The HKSA has signed a letter of intent with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants that will allow it to adopt the organisations' standards, HKSA councillor Michael Chan Kee-huen said.
The standards are mainly related to security measures.
For example, the North American Web-site seal confirms that operators ensure electronic transactions comply with a mutual agreement between buyers and sellers.