The Two Sides of WTSA
The ITU's World e-Trust Initiative was
launched in 2002 by its
BDU Unit (also known as ITU-D), whose charter is to help developing
nations
accelerate the pace of economic development through the effective use
of information and communication technology (ICT).
Not long after its launch, individuals from developed nations
realized that the same public key infrastructure that is the
heart of World e-Trust could be the basic construction material for
building authenticity and privacy for their part of the
world as well. One of those individuals was Wes Kussmaul, the
founder of WTSA.
You might assume from this that the two sides of WTSA
represent the developing and developed parts of the world; but this
particular digital divide is not about economics. Rather it's
about nations and organizations on the one hand and idividuals and
families
on the other. WTSA exists to bring the concerns of both constituencies
together to build domains of authenticity, privacy and reliability on
top of the open, outdoor public highway known as the
Internet. The technical term for these domains is "buildings."
The difference between a pile of PKI construction materials
and a building is architecture, building codes, engineering and
construction - and in the professional licensing of architects,
engineers, contractors and building inspectors. "Indoor" code is
written by a professionally licensed contractor and is digitally signed by
a professionally licensed building inspector.
Who issues these professional licenses? Who takes
responsibility for the building inspections, that is, the code
inspections? Who certifies?
The WTSA is committed to bringing the benefits of reliable
certification to the online world. For centuries,
all reliable certification has been based upon duly constituted public
authority. In the online world, where anyone can purport to be anyone,
that basis of reliable certification is more important than ever. In
World e-Trust/QEI, certification is performed by
duly constituted
public authority.
Dr. Alexander Ntoko, head of the
ITU-D e-Strategies Unit and now
also Strategy and Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary
General, conceived of
the World e-Trust Initiative just after the turn of the century and has
been its director ever since. (Photo courtesy of ITU)
The new online-only municipality, the City of Osmio, was conceived and introduced at the Quiet Enjoyment Infrastructure meeting at ITU headquarters, Geneva, March 7, 2005. Osmio's buildings department will issue occupancy permits - digital certificates - to indoor spaces that meet all building codes and whose code is signed by professionals who hold licenses - digital certificates - issued by the professional licensing department.
(From left) Alexander Ntoko, Ugo Bechini and Wes Kussmaul at The Quiet Enjoyment Infrastructure Meeting (Photo by Robin Good)
