E-Authentication Symposium and Consultation

 

and

Introduction

 

In recent years, the Internet has developed into an important medium for communication and transactions between government agencies, private companies, non-profit organisations and individuals. When transactions transpire in the on-line environment, a primary concern is whether those transactions occur in secure, trusted and reliable regulatory and technological surroundings.  The tools used to deliver this level of trust and confidence can be described as “E-Authentication”.

 

As government and industry attempt to grapple with these issues, it is important to consider public interest aspects of E-Authentication, including concerns about privacy and legal liability.

 

In relation to future approaches, The National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) released a discussion paper on the potential for a National Authentication Technology Framework. The discussion paper entitled “Consultation paper on a National Authentication Technologies Framework”   is available at
http://www.noie.gov.au/Projects/Authentication_Policy/NATF_Discussion_paper_May2002.pdf

The paper looks broadly at the trends in relation to authentication technologies (PINS, passwords, PKI, SSL, biometrics), and considers the possible future for a wider role with NOIE and the Gatekeeper accreditation framework in authentication.

 

This symposium canvassed public interest concerns regarding the present authentication framework, and future developments. The transcript is available at http://www.cyberlawcentre.org/2002/eauthentication/Eauthentication_Transcript.htm

 

While there are many competing views, some interesting background information on these concerns can be found in the following papers:

 

Dr. Roger Clarke at:

http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/EC/AnnBibl.html#PKI 

 

Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner:

http://www.privacy.gov.au/news/media/01_14.html

 

Symposium and Consultation Workshop:

 

The Baker & McKenzie Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre and the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE - www.noie.gov.au) jointly hosted a symposium and consultation event to discuss issues surrounding the present and future developments for E-Authentication in Australia.

 

The event fulfilled two primary roles. Firstly, to act as NOIE's Sydney based consultative workshop for its background paper entitled “Consultation paper on a National Authentication Technologies Framework”. Similar workshops are offered by NOIE in Canberra and Melbourne. Please check NOIE's website for details (http://www.noie.gov.au/Projects/Authentication_Policy/index.htm). Secondly, the event took on a symposium style, offering a unique opportunity to participants to give and receive insight into developments that are of primary importance to E-Authentication. The event offered a forum for fairly open and free-ranging discussion to occur between the participants, and discussed issues wider and beyond NOIE's background paper.

 

This selection of the papers and the symposium proceedings are published on the Centre's website.

 

 

Venue:
Baker & McKenzie Board Room,
Level 26, A.M.P. Centre
50 Bridge Street
Sydney, N.S.W. 1223

 

Chair:

 

Professor Graham Greenleaf, Co-Director of the Baker & McKenzie Cyberspace Law.

and

Tom Dale, General Manager, Regulatory Branch, The National Office for the Information Economy

 

Papers by NOIE:

1. Consultation paper on a National Authentication Technologies Framework - 14 May 2002 - [PDF- 143kb]

2. The Legal Liability of Parties to a PKI Transaction - 8 May 2002 - [PDF- 1351kb]

3. Legal Liability and E-Transactions - 21 August 2000 - [PDF - 453kb]

4. E-Commerce Security: The integration of Business E-Commerce Systems - 21 August 2000 - [PDF - 471kb]

 

Other Papers:

1. Papers by Dr. Roger Clarke, Public Key Infrastructure - [PKI Papers]

2. Privacy and Public Key Infrastructure: Guidelines for Agencies using PKI to communicate or transact with individuals - Federal Privacy Commissioner - [Media Release]

3. Stephen Wilson, Senior Manager, Security Consulting, SecureNet Limited