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[FYI] Report calls PKI key to a digital U.S. government
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- Subject: [FYI] Report calls PKI key to a digital U.S. government
- From: Horns@t-online.de (Axel H. Horns)
- Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1999 19:19:01 +0100
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http://www.fcw.com/pubs/fcw/1999/0104/web-pki-01-05-99.html
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JANUARY 5, 1999 . . . 17:40 EST
Report calls PKI key to a digital U.S.
government
BY HEATHER HARRELD (heather@fcw.com)
A fledgling technology built on public key
infrastructure (PKI) will be key to the
government's success in achieving the "digital
government" envisioned by the Clinton
administration, according to a report released
today.
The report, called "Access With Trust," lays out a
plan for agencies to begin building a PKI
foundation to secure electronic transactions. It
also describes a partnership between the
government and the private sector to design and
build a PKI to improve the public's access to
government services and information, and to
tighten the security of unclassified government
information systems.
PKI, a framework of technology and policy
regarding the use of digital signatures, will be a
foundation to support trusted communication among
federal government agencies and between agencies
and the private sector, according to the report.
"We're looking at this document...as a means to an
end," said Richard Guida, security champion for
security of the Government Information Technology
Services Board. "The end we're trying to achieve
is...the appropriate use of digital signature
technology by federal agencies for their internal
transactions and their external transactions. PKI
is never going to jell until you apply a stimulus
to it. You've got to go out and use the technology
and maybe take a few bruises in the process."
The report outlines several agency pilot projects
testing PKI technology, including the Agriculture
Department's use of PKI technology to secure
electronic benefits transfer between the
department and various states.
Guida said the report is designed to provide
agencies guidance and some examples of other
government uses. "We don't want to have...a
situation where you have disparate uses of the
technology...that creates stovepipes," Guida said.
"[We are] bringing agencies together that are
working on this so agencies can learn from each
other."
According to the report, PKI will provide four
security services: authentication, data integrity,
nonrepudiation (verification that an electronic
message has been sent) and confidentiality. It
will be designed not with a "government-only
approach" but as part of the evolving
private-sector PKI being built using commercial
products.
The report was published by the Federal Public Key
Infrastructure Steering Committee, GITS and the
Office of Management and Budget.
It is available online at gits.gov.
Mail questions to webmaster@fcw.com
Copyright 1999 FCW Government Technology
Group
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See also
http://gits-sec.treas.gov/AccessWithTrust.pdf