Government builds confidence for online transactions
Government builds confidence for online transactions
Mar 21, 2005: A new e-authentication initiative has been launched by the Government to build trust and confidence between businesses and the government transactions so that people will use the Internet more often, which in turn will benefit the economy.
The Australian Government e-Authentication Framework is a definitive guideline for reducing risks and for verifying any statement made in the online environment, and it also hoped to cut down on compliance costs too.
Senator Abetz, the Special Minister of State, Senator Eric Abetz, said: "The idea is to make more people feel comfortable with carrying out transactions over the Internet, and we want to guarantee privacy for people who need it.
"It will up to each department how they integrate their security policies, but we expect some areas of each department's website to be protected by authentication processes, and some to be without these processes."
He said that the framework involves each department looking at four levels of risk, which include low, moderate, medium and high risk. Once the level of risk has been identified for each area, the department will then follow the framework for guidance and what kind of authentication process is required.
"For example, with Centrelink, everybody is entitled to know how it is funding, so there is no need for an authentication protection on this part of the online information. However, there is a need to protect the information that is about individual users, and the centrelink staff member who represents that user. So this is an example of how to make a judgement on which areas need to be protected by an authentication process."
Abetz believes that as the framework is adopted by government agencies and businesses, there will be more familiarity and confidence in online transactions.
"It will introduce a more consistent process so businesses can become sure that low-risk transactions will not require onerous, unwarranted identification and authentication procedures.
"But at the same time, business can be confident that high-risk transactions with the Government will be more secure and less open to identity fraud, or "spoofing".
"Only those with the authority to represent a business will be able to conduct online business transactions with the Government. We want business to happen more often online to help the economy become more efficient and so that business can be carried out more smoothly.
Checklists will be provided soon for government and business; followed by the release of implementation guides for government and business and a detailed guide to authorisation and access management.
A committee, called the Information Management Strategy Committee will make sure that there is consistency between each department. The department secretary from each department will meet at the committee to make sure that consistency is maintained without having to enforce mandates.
The Government also hopes that State governments will follow through too with the framework.
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