Internet security seen having long way to go

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Systems designers have a long way to go to protect online privacy but the spread of so-called smart cards holds promise, the new head of a Internet technical coordination body told a government-sponsored conference Monday.

"We are far from demonstrating that the sense of privacy and if need be, anonymity, can be maintained" on the Web, said Vinton Cerf, who took over last month as chair of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

But Cerf, widely known as a father of the Internet, said in a keynote speech he remained "very optimistic that we can pull this off," referring to building in security safeguards.

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He cited advances in smart cards, credit card-sized computers designed to validate a user's identity before conducting any transaction.

Cerf, senior vice president for Internet architecture at telecommunications giant WorldCom, made his comments at Defending Cyberspace 2000, the fifth annual government conference on security issues in cyberspace.

Air Force Chief Information Officer John Gilligan, co-chair of a government-wide information security panel, told the conference that enhancing security and privacy were critical as the government moves toward greater reliance on the Web.

The challenge for government, he said, is even greater than for industry "because we're held to such high standards."

"E-government" will impact all areas of the U.S. government, said Marty Wagner of the General Services Administration, who is responsible for setting policies on how the government manages itself.

At issue, for instance, is federal procurement of $200 billion of goods and services annually through 2,170 procurement offices and 300,000 supppliers, as well as federal benefits and grants, Wagner told the conference.

"All of these processes are moving to e-government," he said.

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ICANN
WorldCom
CTST: Defending Cyberspace 2000
General Services Administration
Air Force

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