e-Envoy will head up UK e-Security boost
The e-Envoy, Andrew Pinder, is to oversee the introduction of digital signatures, smart cards for businesses and the public and will assist with proposed changes to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).
David Blunkett, Home Secretary, has proposed a number of amendments to the RIPA in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. The most recent of which could soon oblige British Internet Service Providers to store personal user data for an, as yet, unspecified period.
The British Chambers of Commerce has reported the current cost to British ISPs of intercepting data at £640 million over a five-year period.
High-tech security techniques such as fingerprint and iris identification have also been placed at the top of the UK's e-security agenda. Primarily they will be used to increase security at airports, however they could also form part of an ID card system to create 'digital identities,' which the Office of the e-Envoy will oversee.
The e-Envoy's white paper 'e-Government: A strategic framework for public services in the Information Age' outlines some of the Government's proposed policies for increasing security in IT within the UK.
One of the paper's primary aims is to 'develop its policy on strong authentication in business to Government (B2G) and citizen to Government (C2G) electronic transactions.
The Office will use Actica, a UK e-business specialist, to facilitate the consultative process and assist in preparing a framework policy supporting the following Government objectives:
UK to be the best place in the World for e-commerce;
UK public to receive universal access to the Internet;
UK Government services to be on the Internet by 2005.'
Too much security in the field of e-commerce could lead to public fears over security, the London School of Economics has warned. It estimated this could cause a potential £4.6 billion downturn in consumer spending over the next five years.
A spokesman for the Office of the e-Envoy said: "With regard to ID cards, the policy is being kept under review and we are considering whether a universal [smart] card which would both allow people to prove their identity more easily and give a simple way of accessing public services would be beneficial."
A Home Office spokesperson said: "In light of recent events we have been looking at legislation to see what improvements can be made, but as yet no decisions have been taken."
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Richard Powell, UKTECH