Customers want to be sure their online purchases or government-related transactions are secure. This might sound like a grim state of affairs, but some of the news is good. Technology that has the potential to make both agencies and their customers happy is reaching the market. IBM Corp. and its partners in the computer security field have developed new, integrated options that ensure secure access to the desktop and authentication of users online. IBM integrates digital certificates, public key infrastructure and biometric technologies to protect users online.
Digital certificates are small files that identify users.
Users often have a single certificate in their workplace for applications such as secure e-mail or file encryption. But IBM expects that users will get certificates from a variety of sources, including government agencies, financial institutions and, possibly, merchants. A digital certificate, which helps validate and mark a user s digital signature, requires secure storage. IBM and Intel have created technology that moves certificate storage from a user s hard drive to a secure area of the computer. The new storage area serves as a certificate depot that is highly encrypted to prevent the theft of identity on the Internet.