Government late on Tuesday selected local computer security firm QuoVadis Limited to provide digital identity services for its e-government portal.

Digital certificates are a form of non-forgeable electronic identification used to identify online users and resources, to create legally binding electronic signatures, and to encrypt data for privacy. With the future development of the portal and e-government applications, the digital certificates may be used for any number of online high value transactions such as registering aircraft or filing taxes or submitting immigration documents.

The contract with QuoVadis is part of a multi-phase project which began in earnest earlier this year when Government launched the portal www.gov.bm and united the informational websites of more than 60 government agencies.

Minister of Telecommunications and E-Commerce Michael Scott said in a media release yesterday that the e-Government programme is building the technology infrastructure to ensure that the practices of the public sector can be transferred online "efficiently, consistently and securely".

Mr. Scott said: "Reflecting the sophistication of the Bermuda marketplace, Government is committed to leveraging the Internet to better serve our users, whether they are local residents seeking to register a vehicle or multinational companies making a regulatory filing."

Mr. Scott said that QuoVadis will help provide the identity cornerstone for the next phase of the Portal which will ensure Government can properly identify users and protect privacy, as well as foster the integrity and accountability of its web service offerings.

The five-year old company has established itself on the Island as a provider of expertise and managed services that help companies counter security threats to their data and technology. It also helps businesses establish continuity plans and fulfil their obligations to privacy legislation and corporate governance legislation. The QuoVadis Trust/Link operation is already well-established as a global certification authority with users in more than 20 countries.

Roman Brunner, chief executive of the QuoVadis Group, said: "To ensure it competitiveness as a jurisdiction, Bermuda has consistently been a leader in formulating legislation and updating infrastructure to make e-commerce possible. With its rigorous approach to security and identity management in its e-government planning and Portal, the Bermuda Government is reinforcing the island's reputation for responsibility and trust."

Mr. Brunner says that the project is a "milestone in Bermuda's process of active consultation and planning for e-commerce and online delivery of Government services."

"Over the past few years, Government has quietly laid out regulatory and policy frameworks that make sense to our environment," he said. "This agreement will provide the online security to start moving plans into action for online transactions."