Internet Security
Security is a major concern on the internet. Traditionally, email, data transfers and even credit card information on web forms were transferred over the Internet in a manner that were easily accessible to unauthorized 3rd parties.Security concerns include: 1) authenticating that email, information and data claimed to be sent by someone was in fact sent by that person, and has not been covertly altered by other individuals, 2) being able to track who did what where and when, and 3) being able to prevent all but intended recipients from accessing sensitive information.
Digital signatures provide content validation and ownership. Encryption provides secure file systems and databases. Passwords and digital certificates provides user authentication. Secure protocols provide privacy of transactions.
Content Rating provides automated user and parental control of content access, which minimizes the need to legislate blanket censorship on the Net.
All of these components require encryption technology, which is tightly restricted by the US government.
Digital signatures and encryption technology has made it possible for parents to control access of "mature" Internet content by minors; likewise, the recent adoption of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and other internet protocols have provided a mechanism to increase data security on the Internet.
However, current government restrictions have made this technology less effective in the US than what is available in other technological countries.
