Principles for Electronic Authentication in Canada - Consultation Draft

A consultation draft of Principles for Electronic Authentication (the EA Principles) has been produced for public comment by a private/public sector collaboration (the Principles of Electronic Authentication Working Group), an initiative spearheaded by Industry Canada. The EA Principles are intended to encompass all forms of electronic authentication in Canada and will assist designers, developers and implementers of these systems by providing benchmarks for them.   The EA Principles fall within a legal and policy framework which includes the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Government of Canada's Cryptography Policy, the Principles of Consumer Protection for Electronic Commerce, and the Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce. Emphasis in the EA Principles is on data privacy and a need for a well-functioning marketplace.   According to Industry Canada, they are expressed in general and technology-neutral terms so as to be widely applicable, and are intended to be consistent with international developments in authentication.   As well, the EA Principles are described as emphasizing a balance between the assumption of risk and responsibility and the degree of control a party has over the transaction. Stakeholders and any interested parties can review and comment on the draft EA Principles by submitting responses to the E-Commerce Branch of Industry Canada by August 12, 2003.   For a copy of the EA Principles, visit: http://e-com.ic.gc.ca/english/authen/631e5.html. Summary by:   James Kosa