News - S.E.E. Update
S.E.E. Update
August 2002
Over 20 agencies are now using S.E.E. Mail and another 12 agencies have committed to joining S.E.E. Mail during the 2002 calendar year. With two recent reports of faked e-mail in the press, one of which could have significantly affected New Zealand's economy, it is timely to remember that S.E.E. Mail ensures the authenticity of the origin of e-mail. S.E.E. Mail catches messages that purport to come from another S.E.E. Mail agency and alerts the recipient that the message may be spoofed.
Due to the initiative of the NZ Customs Service, Datacom is now offering a bureau service for S.E.E. Mail. This offering complements those of the already accredited suppliers. It is likely to be appealing for agencies that do not wish or are not in a position to manage their own email services in-house. We anticipate that these are likely to be, but not limited to, the smaller agencies (up to 40 - 50 users). For more information about the bureau service contact the S.E.E. Manager.
S.E.E. Mail agencies can now test their configurations at any time, against the new S.E.E. Mail Automated Reference Test Server (SMARTS). Contact the S.E.E. Manager for further information.
A number of agencies have been using or looking at secure web-based email services that cater for the growing need for secure communication with individuals outside the S.E.E. Mail system. The E-government Unit recently invited agencies to a workshop to explore the possibility of a common approach across government. Web-based email is already being used in the UK as one aspect of the secure transaction workspace called the Government Gateway. Contact Larry.Holmes@ssc.govt.nz for further information.
The Treasury have been putting hardware tokens, developed as part of S.E.E PKI, to practical use. They have successfully demonstrated how they can secure a laptop. The same token can be used for access to Internet applications or to enable remote access. Re-using the same token for multiple authentication purposes is a cost-effective solution.
