In brief: PC vendors thrash out desktop security standards

NEWS Leading PC vendors are joining forces to agree a set of security standards to be incorporated into the development of desktop systems. The group claims introducing the standards into the next generation of PCs will help IT managers build secure transaction systems in readiness for ecommerce. The still-unnamed coalition includes Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel and Personal Systems Group. The standardised security features will include the capacity to store private keys that encode and authenticate secure transactions and theft prevention codes. Several security application vendors are supporting the venture.