HAMILTON (BW) - The Bermuda Government has approved QuoVadis Limited to provide digital certificates to the Island's evolving e-government programme, allowing increased access over the Internet to public sector resources by citizens and businesses.

Based in Bermuda, QuoVadis is the first offshore commercial certificate authority in the world.

"Bermuda was the first offshore jurisdiction to pursue e-commerce as an important part of our economy,'' said Minister for Telecommunications and E-Commerce, Renee Webb.

"It is only logical that our Government take an active role in using the technology in our own community.''

In 1999, the Island was one of the first countries in the world to enact legislation dealing with digital signatures. Shortly after, QuoVadis launched its Bermuda-based certificate authority to allow international organisations to leverage the local law.

QuoVadis already serves a range of international organisations based in Bermuda and Europe. Digital certificates are a form of "electronic ID'' that may be used in e-mail, networks, and Internet websites to provide:

Identity: You can identify who you are dealing with online.

Privacy: You can be sure that only the correct person can read the information.

Integrity: You can be certain the information has not been tampered with.

Accountability: The sender cannot deny that they sent the data.

"While seeking to expand our services to the community using the Internet, the Bermuda Government takes seriously its responsibility to protect the personal information of our citizens,'' said Ms Webb.

In a first stage, the Government will deploy QuoVadis Secure Sockets Layer (also known as SSL or server certificates) on websites that deal with citizen information.

With its telltale padlock icon on the browser, SSL encrypts the flow of information between your computer and the Government server, creating privacy as your transaction passes over the open Internet. You can also double-click the padlock icon to verify that you are, in fact, dealing with the Government.

Other projects provide digital certificates for end users, allowing strong access control and the ability to sign official documents online.

The Ministry, as well as the Government's E-Commerce Advisory Board, are creating strategies to broaden electronic access to public services as part of their overall vision of developing e-business in Bermuda.

Bermuda is already testing e-government initiatives in areas as diverse as the Registrar of Companies, the Tax Commissioner, and H.M. Customs - allowing both citizens and businesses to access government information and make filings at any time of the day or night.

According to Tony Nagel, QuoVadis CEO, "surveys show that security is the largest issue holding back the wide scale adoption of e-commerce. By selecting QuoVadis as Government's certificate authority, the Bermuda Government has made a major step towards major e-commerce on the Island, allowing businesses and citizens to connect securely online with the Government and each other. The potential applications are boundless, from online forms and filings to account access and bill payments.''