InformationWeek

A Standard for Safety

Net providers strive for encryption and authentication

By Tom Groenfeldt
Issue column appeared: Jan. 30, 1995

Widespread Internet commerce won't become a reality until sellers can connect to the Net through firewalls, and buyers can place orders and make payments securely.

CommerceNet, the Internet business consortium in Menlo Park, Calif., is testing secure systems and developing standards for secure transactions. Cathy Medich, the group's executive director, says the first encryption and authentication systems should be on the market sometime early this year.

Heart Of Security
A t the very heart of most commercial security systems is technology from RSA Data Security Inc., in Redwood City, Calif. RSA developed the public/private key encryption that forms the basis for many of today's security software systems.

The technique allows the sender to encrypt confidential information with the receiver's public key code. Once the information is delivered, it can be read only with the aid of that receiver's private key.

Netscape Communications Corp. in Mountain View, Calif., is one developer that counts on RSA to provide secure transactions over the Internet with its Netsite Communications Server and Netscape Navigator. For the transaction to be secure, the client or customer must have Netscape Navigator on a server or client PC. InternetMCI is expected to use Netscape to secure its electronic shopping system, which is scheduled to go live early this year.

Terisa Systems Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif., is taking a different approach, using RSA technology to create encryption tool kits th at developers can use. A joint venture of RSA and Enterprise Integration Technologies Corp., also in Menlo Park, Terisa has sold technology to early Net business developers, including Open Market Inc. and CyberCash Inc.

Sure Thing?
There are additional approaches to encryption. Full authentication of digital files, for instance, is now available through Surety Technologies Inc., the Chatham, N.J., producer of Digital Notary. The company provides secure time--stamps that freeze a file's contents without revealing them to a third party. Surety's Digital Notary process may find its way into many law firms and financial institutions.

With new technology, standards are becoming an important issue. Netscape and Terisa are discussing ways to make them compatible. And MasterCard International Inc. will work with Netscape to develop a standard methodology for Internet transactions.