Purpose

Trusted Computing is a class of technologies that have implications regarding the integrity of government-held information. The E-government Unit has been investigating these implications, and has prepared this briefing paper to provide an update on what has been learned, and to signal what further work we will be doing in this area.

Summary

A quick summary of our advice about trusted computing is that it:

• is an emerging class of technologies with significant implications for government
• heralds a sea change in the way software will be written and delivered, digital content [Increasingly, digital content is the main medium of storage for all created items, including learning materials, books, music, designs, games and video materials.] will be created and accessed, and users will have control over their own information
• is available now in only a limited range of products, but while it is very early days for these technologies, their use will become ubiquitous in a wide range of electronic devices
• offers benefits related to protection of intellectual property and the security of online transactions, but also offers risks including:
• external parties monitoring a user's information without permission
• software companies controlling access to data generated with their software
• external parties controlling access to electronic records, including provision for them to disappear after being sent.
• should not be used by the government until and unless it can be satisfied that:
• it will continue to have access to its own information
• that such access will be under its exclusive control
• that sensitive information will be protected from disclosure to unauthorised third parties.