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Bill Gates Addresses Security, Privacy Issues at Seattle Forum
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said Thursday, December 7, that as business on the Internet becomes more pervasive, the industry must tackle the challenges of customer trust and control or risk losing customer confidence.
In order for the next generation of the Internet to succeed and thrive, the industry must provide a level of trust and control to consumers, businesses and network providers through technology, tools and practices built around industry-wide agreement on the critical issue surrounding security and privacy, said Gates opening the three-day SafeNet 2000, a forum being held in Seattle for leaders from technology, government, law enforcement and academia.
"In an era where the Internet is increasingly central to our lives at work, at home and at school," he said, "it is more important than ever that our industry gives customers the assurance that their information will remain secure, respected and private."
He called on the industry to acknowledge that the solutions to security and privacy challenges cannot be driven by one single group. Rather, he said, the future lies in how vendors, government and academic groups come together to arm customers with the technologies, tools and standards necessary for assuring trust and secure computing in the digital age.
He also noted that products and services must be designed and integrated in a way that does not make them difficult to operate in a secure fashion.
In a news release summing up Gates' key points, Microsoft said that during his keynote address, Gates demonstrated the smart card pilot program currently underway on the company's campus. Some Microsoft employees are using the Windows-powered smart cards to access buildings and securely log into their computers. The cards illustrate the importance of adding two-factor authentication to further secure a corporate network environment.
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