Furthermore, in order to provide for interoperability between state certification authorities, California may wish to accept a certification authority based merely on its accreditation by another state. We further note that the purpose of the Certification Authority is to ensure that the person or entity holding the public key is adequately identified. We again question this disparate treatment and recommend eliminating the disparity. It is a fundamental tenet of cryptographic science that a good algorithm can and should be made public. You can send it to your adversaries, publish it in a magazine, or shout it from the rooftops.
Good cryptographers rely on peer review to separate the good algorithms from the bad.
We recommend that the Department be required to consult with unbiased experts on the specific technology under consideration, in making that determination, and to take into consideration whether that technology has been adopted by international standards organizations. The Coalition recommends that the Secretary of State, after taking into consideration the experience of other states or government agencies, seek additional legislation to extend the use of digital signatures to private entities in their dealings with each other. In its document entitled Frequently Asked Questions the Secretary of State describes how the regulations were developed. The Silicon Valley Software Industry Coalition is pleased to have been asked to serve on the Task Force and appreciates the opportunity to work with the state in developing appropriate and workable regulations.