Industry Criticizes Internet Security Plans

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www2.handelsblatt.com/hbiwwwangebot/fn/relhbi/sfn/buildhbee/cn/bp_artikel_e/docid/430272/strucid/PAGE_201096/pageid/PAGE_201096/SH/0/depot/0/index.html

12. Juni 2001

HB/jrr BERLIN. Internet companies on Tuesday levelled strong criticism
at Economics Minister Werner Mller's Internet security plans, saying
that electronic service and networks providers would become burdened
with added costs running into billions.

Speaking in Berlin as part of a key-note discussion of the
"Partnerschaft sichere Internet-Wirtschaft" (partnership for secure
Internet business), Mller called for improvements in Internet
security. "Attacks on the Internet, companies and private users damage
confidence in ecommerce," said Mller.

Mller, who chaired the discussion attended by more than 50
representatives from business associations and companies, put his
ministry's plans for a new telecoms surveillance ordinance (TKV) on
ice at the meeting following strong criticism about costs, which
Internet companies said would run into billions.

The minister said that he would examine the cost implications of his
civil servants' proposals, adding that he was "not tied" to the
outcome.

Jrgen Grtzner, chairman of the Association of the Providers of
Telecommunications and ValueAdded Services (VATM), said the planned
Internet security measures would cause both companies and citizens
considerable problems. The massive increase in the monitoring of email
and data transfer planned would actually be counterproductive to the
goal of increasing confidence in ecommerce, claimed Grtzner.

Digital signature provider Signpost, a subsidiary of German postal
service provider Deutsche Post, calculates that Internet security
problems cause businesses to lose around DM5 billion annually. But a
spokesman for the federal office for security in informations
technology told news agency Reuters that he estimated damages caused
by Internet fraud at just a three-digit million sum.

In a separate development, DASIT Datenschutz in Telediensten (data
protection in telecom services), a research project supported by the
Ministry of Economics and Technology, has developed prototype software
which will enable consumers to make anonymous purchases via the
Internet. The B2C business-to-consumer software , which was developed
in partnership with IBM Deutschland Informationssysteme GmbH, has been
undergoing field trials since May.



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