Infosecurity

Philippines govt to secure online transactions

By Alice Kok | 20 May 2009

Two government agencies in the Philippines have endorsed a proposed executive order to set up a system that will enable government offices to keep online transactions secure using “digital signatures”.

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The Trade Department (DTI) and the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) are supporting the draft which, if approved by the President, will authorise the creation of a Root Certification Authority.

This body will assign digital signatures—a virtual certificate that proves data indeed comes from the claimed sender—to government officials and their staff.

Such a system will assure the public that transactions are official, confidential, and were not modified by unauthorised parties.

Government transactions that can be done online include income tax filing, imports processing, and business name registration.

“The proposal was drafted due to growing concerns over the integrity and security of online transactions that threaten the very core of e-commerce and e-government in the Philippines,” said a DTI spokesperson.

“With this, more government services will become readily available and accessible online to the citizenry and the public,” they said. The executive order is expected to be issued within this quarter.