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Working group

Business Overview

The Trusted Computing Working Group is a project that has been set up under the E-government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF). The Working Group has developed a set of government-wide principles and policies for the use of trusted computing and digital rights management (TC/DRM) technologies in New Zealand. The Group is now developing a set of standards and guidelines, to assist agencies with implementation of the principles and policies.

TC/DRM technologies are beginning to be deployed internationally. They are expected to become commonplace. Although they may offer benefits, they will also introduce potential risks to the integrity of government-held information. A New Zealand government working group, established under the E-government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF), has developed principles and policies regarding government use of these technologies to mitigate the risks. Government-wide principles and policies will ensure a common approach, and reduce the prospect of inconsistencies and interoperability issues.

The New Zealand government recognises that agencies will benefit from standards and guidance in applying the principles and policies in their particular technical context.

It was felt that the most appropriate way to develop such standards and guidelines would be to re-convene the Working Group, with some minor adjustments to membership.

Working group

The Trusted Computing Working Group was established in July 2005. The re-convened Group met for the first time in August 2006. Members of the Working Group include representatives from central and local government, and from the ICT industry.

The expected deliverables are standards and guidelines, and a final report to the Steering Group, in early 2007.

The Working Group will develop TC/DRM ‘use cases’ to:

  • identify where standards and guidelines will be needed to support implementation of the principles and policies
  • identify any requirements for policies to enable the potential benefits of the technologies to be realised.

Based on analysis of the use cases, the Working Group will developsupporting standards and guidelines, and add to the policies if necessary. In particular, standards and guidelines are expected to provide:

  • an all-of-government standard set of definitions for minimum DRM-privileges, to enable required sharing of data across government
  • boiler-plate text to include in contracts, to ensure full and exclusive control of DRM rights for information owned by government
  • further clarification and action around the concept of an independent agency (e.g. Archives NZ) to hold DRM keys in an escrow arrangement.

The output of the Working Group is also expected to feed into collaboration between New Zealand and other governments, to push for capabilities that governments need vendors to provide, such as:

  • a DRM metadata standard (so that DRM-protected data can be distinguished from non-DRM data)
  • TC/DRM communications specifications for hardware and software incorporating this technology, plus independent authorities to verify behaviour against specification
  • a means to virus-scan DRM-protected data
  • vendor declarations of use of TC/DRM technology in products.