The Emerging Threat to Online Trust



The Role of Public Policy and Browser Certificates

New America Foundation and Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy
Friday, October 22, 2010
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Every day, we rely on our web browsers to keep our communications secure. Whether we are submitting our credit card for purchases, doing online banking, or sending email, the same fundamental security structure is being used. The lock icon displayed by web browsers might give users reason to believe that the prevailing "certificate"-based model is trustworthy, the reality is that many vulnerabilities exist, and the risks are multiplying. Hundreds of different entities located around the world have the ability to issue fraudulent certificates that will nevertheless be trusted by our browsers. Overcoming the shortcomings in the current model and working toward a better model requires cooperation of corporations, the government, developers, and users. Many of the most difficult challenges are not technical in nature but rather social or political.

Welcome Remarks
Sascha Meinrath
Director, Open Technology Initiative
New America Foundation

Overview
Edward W. Felten
Director, Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy

Stephen Schultze
Associate Director, Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy

Keynote Speaker
Andrew McLaughlin
White House Deputy Chief Techonology Officer, Internet Policy

Panelists
Adam Langley
Google

Scott Rea
Senior PKI Architect, DigiCert

Paul Vixie
President, Internet Software Consortium

Respondents
Ari Schwartz
Senior Internet Policy Advisor, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Peter Eckersley
Senior Staff Technologist, Electronic Frontier Foundation

Hosted by Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy and the New America Foundation

To RSVP for the event:
http://www.newamerica.net/events/2010/online_trust

For questions, contact Stephanie Gunter at (202) 596-3367 or gunter@newamerica.net

For media inquiries, contact Kate Brown at (202) 596-3365 or brown@newamerica.net