F-Secure praises passage of Digital Signature Legislation

Y3K Security Products, the sole distributor for F-Secure Corporation (previously known as Data Fellows Finland) in Africa, today announced that F-Secure has praised Congressional recognition of digital signatures as legally binding. F-Secure President Chris Vargas said that when President Clinton signs SB 761, known more formally as the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (E-Sign) Act, the law will "further open the door to secure electronic commerce."

Vargas said that the proper use of digital signatures would remove one barrier to widespread adoption of electronic purchasing among consumers and business customers. He cautioned, however, that while digital IDs are the legal equivalent to written signatures, they are not an alternative to vigilance against the various security threats that challenge the safety and validity of an electronic transaction.

For example, viruses may be attached unwittingly to valid messages, and result in stealthy, automated intrusions into computer systems. And, correspondents` personal computers or wireless devices must still be protected from hackers who may want to steal information, or provoke denial of service attacks, as well as from Trojan horses or worms that can choke corporate systems.

"While this law has accelerated the arrival of the age of digital commerce, additional security measures continue to be needed to ensure a safe, end-to-end e-Business environment," Vargas said.

Long discussed in security circles and at Internet conferences, digital signatures have become widely accepted as reliable. But without national legislation, the states had indicated inconsistent interpretations of digital IDs, thus making their legal status uncertain.

Furthermore, even with legal recognition, electronic signatures only validate who the parties are, Vargas said, not the content of electronic messages. "It will be of little consolation if the recipient knew the sender of an electronic letter bomb. That is, once the sender is verified, attachments still need to be scanned to make sure that viruses or other illegal content had not been inserted by hackers, either manually or through automated means."

Though e-commerce in the private sector has blossomed over the last few years, security awareness has only captured the limelight in recent months, partly as a result of infamous virus attacks. Besides encouraging the growth and safety of e-commerce, the new law is expected to help bring personal data security awareness to the forefront of the public`s thoughts.

For further information, please contact Sales Manager Hilton Gray at tel. (011) 886 3757; fax (011) 787 1109; e-mail hilton.gray@y3kgroup.com