JISC

Start date: 1 January 1999

End date: 1 May 2000

Funding programme: JISC Technologies Application (JTAP) programme

The recent acceleration in the uptake of electronic commerce (e-commerce) over the Internet has focused the need for methods to be developed by which to securely transfer data over what amounts to a worldwide public network. The most commonly cited example of this requirement is the ability of customers to make electronic purchases from company Web sites using debit cards such as VISA cards. Public confidence in e-commerce has to be high for it to succeed and to continue to grow, whether via existing debit card transactions or more tightly integrated electronic cash systems.

In the academic world, the need for security in data exchanges is not intuitively seen to be so high. Whereas e-commerce relies on secure channels between sites that may often lie on opposite sides of the globe, the nature of "sensitive" academic transactions is more likely to be localised within individual campuses. However, the requirement is still there. For example exam marks may need to be entered by university departments into centrally maintained databases, centralised purchasing may lead to financial information being exchanged, and of course remote computing access (or Web-based booking systems for such access) may result in password information being transmitted.

This report looks at the potential for widespread deployment of Secure Internet Protocols within UK HEIs, offering an overview of what are likely to be the important issues involved. We review past JISC reports on security, on existing and future technology, and we comment on the current stances of UKERNA and, as far as can be deduced, the UK Government. The report concludes with some key observations.