The Australian Government Information Management Office Archive

Foreword

The Internet is an inherently open system, cheap and easy to access. It is therefore important that appropriate solutions are available so users can be confident that they know who they are transacting with when using the Internet.

In progressing the Commonwealth Government's objective of increasing Australians' involvement with the information economy, it is imperative to encourage confidence in online transactions, and to ensure trust in the Government's web presence and those transacting with it. The Government is also keen to ensure that agencies maximise the potential of the Internet for online service delivery.

The Government Online strategy, which was released in April 2000, placed considerable emphasis on ensuring enablers such as authentication, privacy and security are in place. That strategy also provided a framework for federal agencies to meet the Prime Minister's commitment (made in 1997) to have all appropriate services online by December 2001. We have made great strides across Commonwealth Government agencies in terms of providing better, higher quality services for the community.

The Prime Minister recently announced at the World Congress on Information Technology in Adelaide that the 2001 target had been achieved. In effect we have reached the end of the first stage of online service delivery in Australia. Later this year the Government will be releasing a new policy framework designed to facilitate fully fledged e-Government in the Commonwealth sector in Australia.

Trust is an essential element in the provision of these sophisticated government online services. Agencies and their customers alike need to establish a degree of trust or confidence about the identity of parties to online transactions. Where an agency may be providing online access to services and benefits it will need to ensure that these are being delivered to the correct customer. Authentication policies and technologies are essential in providing a trusted online environment.

This guide has been developed by the National Office for the Information Economy to provide agencies with advice and guidance on key issues when considering the implementation of authentication in their e-business strategies.

I commend this report to agencies, and encourage them to adopt appropriate authentication policies as the Commonwealth moves towards a more developed and integrated e-Government.

THE HON SENATOR RICHARD ALSTON
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
July 2002