Reports of holes in companies' e-commerce systems could convince even the most rational person that thieves are prowling every corner of the Web, waiting to steal victims' credit card numbers, personal data and other sensitive information.

But as any Internet security expert will tell you, e-commerce is actually much more secure than real-world commerce. When you leave your credit card receipt on a restaurant table or give your credit card number to a telephone operator, you're accepting the risk that things you didn't order might appear on next month's bill. Yet when you enter a credit card number on a reputable e-commerce site, you're sending it over a secure connection to a server that's accessible only to authorized personnel and protected against even the most determined intruders.

Yet in the world of e-commerce, perception matters just as much as reality. Small businesses often outsource their e-commerce systems, and many small business owners don't know or care about e-commerce security technology. When your customers start to ask questions, however, it's best to know the answers before they take their business elsewhere.

Here are a few of the most frequently asked e-commerce security questions. This list isn't complete by any means, but it's a good start.

Can cyber thieves intercept a customer's credit card number on the Web?

A properly configured e-commerce system makes it almost impossible to steal a customer's credit card number. The customer's browser uses a secure connection to encrypt their credit card number and other information before it's sent; this data will remain encrypted once it's on the merchant's server. Even if thieves intercept this encrypted data, they have no way to read it. What about the flaws in e-commerce systems that are reported by the media?