Computers

You just entered a "secure" space, which means the connection between your computer and ours is now quite secure. While you're here, our computer knows that yours is the one that started this session, yours knows the same thing about ours, and we have the mutual comfort of knowing that intruders on our conversation can neither decipher nor alter its content.

People

Now let's talk about people, not computers.

Do you know who we are?

Do we know who you are?

We only know that the identities of the computers that started the session have not changed. We know nothing about the people operating those computers. We have to take a lot on faith.

Faith is not a good basis for matters of identity in online environments. Despite the lock icon on your browser screen, despite the SSL behind this session, we need to do more for this connection to be secure.

Annual Trends in Insecurity

Year Identity Fraud Malware Costs Malware Growth Spam
2009 $54B US N/A 1.5m 89.4%
2008 $48B US N/A 825k 90.7%
2007 $45B US N/A 650k 85.7%
2006 $50B US $13.3B 150k 76.7%
2005 $57B US $14.2B 60k 80.7% (Q4)
2004 $60B US $17.5B 20k N/A
Average $52.3B US $15B 757k 84.6%

Identity Fraud: Cost to Victim (US). Source: Javelin 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report.
Malware Costs: Direct cost damage of clean-up after malware attack (Worldwide). Source: 2007 Malware Report: The Economic Impact of Viruses, Spyware, Adware, Botnets and Other Malicious Code (Computer Economics).
Malware Growth: Number of new unique samples added to AV-Test.org's malware collection. Sources: June 2010 Trend Micro Endpoint Comparative Report Performed by AV-Test.org; New Unique Samples Added to AV-Test.org's Malware Collection.
Spam: Percent of mail that is abusive (Worldwide). Sources: Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group Email Metrics Program: The Network Operators' Perspective, Report #12, Report#10, Report#8, Report#5, Report#3

The Solution

Identity is the Foundation of Security.™
Let the members of The Authenticity Alliance help you make your information resources secure and manageable by:

    • establishing measurably reliable identities, and
    • designing and building online spaces upon a foundation of reliable identity, PKI, and InDoor™ standards and practices.