NETRUST

Mr Chng Hee Kok asked the Minister for Communications and Information Technology what is the status of the development of Netrust and what is the current usage of Netrust in making payments for Government services.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: There are two Certification Authorities, or CAs, in Singapore. They are Netrust and ID.Safe. CAs issue digital certificates that allow parties involved in an e-commerce transaction to identify each other through the use of a digital signature. Industry feedback is that such validation is crucial for the growth of secure and trusted e-commerce. In Singapore, all CAs are subjected to a set of duties listed in the Electronic Transaction Act. They are also regulated by IDA, which is the Controller of CAs.

CAs that are able to meet more stringent requirements, which include financial soundness, personnel integrity, and strict security controls and procedures, can also participate in a voluntary licensing scheme. Only CAs that meet the high integrity and security standards set up by IDA will be licensed. In return, they are able to instil greater consumer confidence. The use of digital signatures recently received a strong boost when both CAs in Singapore were awarded licences by IDA.

Netrust's digital certificates are currently used to authenticate some Government transactions such as custom declarations, and transfer of CPF funds. Netrust's digital certificates are also used in "GeBiz", the Government one-stop centre for procurement activities. However, we only need to use digital certificates in Government e-services where strong proof of identification and non-repudiation is required. Many Government e-services do not require authentication of the user; and for e-services that do require user identity, a simple PIN or password requirement is often sufficient.