The Internet (cyberspace) and its associated technologies, processes and services have resulted  in the revolutionising of commerce. Apart from affecting our understanding of local and international commerce it has also broadened our understanding of traditional areas of law like Defamation, libel, Contract, copyright, intellectual property,  patents and commercial law to name but a few.

There is an evolving body of international law, national legislations and Case law,  that dictates what is, how and when internet relationships are formed. On the criminal front, we have continuously witnessed an upsurge in the negative way criminals have transformed the many advantages inherent in cyberspace into formidable mechanism for planning and executing complicated national and cross border crimes.

 The state apparatus and its criminal justice infrastructure is continually playing catch up with cyber criminals and their fast evolving tactics aimed at defeating monitoring and surveillance.

Individuals and corporations, directly or indirectly, employ the use of the internet to conduct business and social relationships at various levels of interactions. Traditional laws do not sufficiently define and accommodate these contemporary relationships. Consequently, there is need for businesses and individuals to understand the implications of the relationships that exist in the cyber arena.

For businesses, there is grave exposure to liability if appropriate attention is not given to the demands and legal requirements concerning cyberspace even more so. where contact is initiated through corporate web sites, intranets and the use of emails within and beyond national boundaries.