US Government Unveils New Strategy for Online Security and Privacy

The US Section of Commerce held a news conference this dawn to announce the National Strategy for Sure Identities in Cyberspace–or NSTIC for short. The initiative is a partnership betwixt the political science and the private sector to amend online security and strengthen consumer confidence in the Net.

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke presented the NSTIC at a press group discussion this morning. The initiative is a broad scheme to enhance the security of online transactions with the United States of America government playing the use of facilitator.

The NSTIC initiative has the public and private sector partnering for a more secure Internet.

The weight-lift conference included a variety of stats and figures to paint the picture for why much a overt / private partnership is needed. The Internet is the guts of an estimated $10 one million million in online business each year. Consumers bear bills online, buy movies and music, and order just about anything possible from sites like Amazon and eBay.

Simply, proving World Health Organization you are online is a difficult job, and usernames and passwords have failed clock and time again to cater adequate protection. More eight million adults were victims of fraud or identity thievery in 2020 precisely in the USA. The damage from identity thievery in 2020 alone is estimated at $37 million.

In spite of years (and age) of security experts repetition the mantra to use more secure passwords, and hard to educate users on stronger password security, IT has been revealed over and over again that passwords are still peerless of the weakest golf links in the Chain. The Rockyou word breach in 2009, and the Gawker breach a year late some illustrate just how pervasive weak passwords remain.

Michael Barrett, Chief Data Security Policeman of PayPal, supports the enterprisingness. "We have consistently advocated that authentic online identity is a significant part of a healthy Internet ecosystem. PayPal will be offering Thomas More services to our customers ended the upcoming months that directly support the NSTIC, which we expect testament result in many early benefits to some our customers and the Net overall."

Locke pointed out that many other nations are approaching the job of online identity and security measur by implementing some work of national ID card. Locke states, "We Don River't think that's a in force model, despite what you power have read happening blogs frequented past the cabal theory set," adding, "Having a single issuer of identities creates insufferable secrecy and civilised liberties issues. We besides want to goad innovation, not limit it."

Winfield Scott Charney, Corporate Frailty President for Microsoft, also has some praise for the government strategy. "Microsoft supports the NSTIC vision for a citizen centric privacy enhanced identity ecosystem. Creating this ecosystem will provide citizens with a mixed bag of choices for authenticating their identity online piece helping to protect their security and privateness. Realizing this vision brings us closer towards a safer, more trusted Internet."

At this point in time, NSTIC is clean a scheme…just a vision. Now, the door is open for private sphere entrepreneurs and innovators to develop the slipway to execute that strategy.