Maybe this will help MS keep their certificates current and help VRSN avoid issuing further erroneous certificates in MS's name! I was wondering why VRSN was quietly pushing Win2K in recent months..... rf > From: InfoSec News <isnat_private> > Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 04:01:02 -0500 (CDT) > To: isnat_private > Subject: [ISN] Microsoft to tap VeriSign for security > > http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6528869.html?tag=mn_hd > > By The Associated Press > Special to CNET News.com > July 9, 2001, 9:20 p.m. PT > > SEATTLE--Microsoft will enlist VeriSign to help provide security for > its planned set of Internet services called .Net, the companies were > scheduled to announce Tuesday. > > Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. > > Microsoft has been hounded by concerns over privacy and security since > announcing plans to release .Net and HailStorm, a related set of paid > subscription services ranging from banking to making dental > appointments over the Internet. > > The system will depend on customers' willingness to store personal > information including credit card numbers and personal calendars via a > Microsoft system called Passport. > > Passport was originally introduced as a system for remembering > multiple Web site log-ons across the Internet and is now shaping into > a cornerstone to storing personal information needed for .Net. > > Through this deal, VeriSign will provide additional "digital > certificates" over the Passport system for certain transactions > requiring extra security, such as bank transfers, the companies said. > > Those customers who use Microsoft's Windows desktop operating system > will find that the two services can be linked, said Microsoft Vice > President Sanjay Parthasarathy, with the digital certificates stored > on the operating system. Others will be able to store their > certificates in areas designated by VeriSign, based in Mountain View, > Calif. > > The companies are touting the ease of this system, saying the added > security won't necessarily require that users use an extra password. > > "The issue you deal with is that customers want ease of use but they > also want higher levels of trust," VeriSign President and Chief > Executive Stratton Sclavos said. "Before those two things were > mutually exclusive, but now they can be as simple as one password." > > But Sclavos acknowledged that providing the extra security without an > extra log-on could backfire because it requires that a potential > hacker know only one password to access a broad array of personal > information. > > "It needs to scale with the level of risk," he said. > > The non-exclusive deal will allow both companies to partner with other > enterprises, Parthasarathy said. > > Microsoft previously announced a partnership with McAfee.com, based in > Sunnyvale, Calif., to provide personal firewall security services for > Passport. > > > > > ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com > --- > To unsubscribe email isn-unsubscribeat_private > > ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com --- To unsubscribe email isn-unsubscribeat_private
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Wed Jul 11 2001 - 00:23:52 PDT