Online Trust Town Hall Meeting

By Stephanie Jordan
in

There’s a series of news to share from the Authentication and Online Trust Alliance (AOTA). First, on March 31 the organization (which includes leading brands and public institutions striving to improve online trust) announced the change of its name to Online Trust Alliance (OTA). The organization also announced the addition of international chapters in Asia Pacific, Canada and Europe. According to a company statement, the renaming and international expansion “reflect a broader movement to lead an increasingly global online ecosystem with the overall mission to enhance trust, confidence and the protection of businesses and consumers.”

OTA released this week its analysis of email authentication adoption, acknowledging that while adoption has grown, many have not taken steps to prevent email and phishing scams. OTA found approximately 56 percent of the top .gov sites—including Whitehouse.gov, FBI.gov, Treasury.gov and DHS.gov—have not adopted email authentication. OTA notes that progress has been made by other government agencies including the Census Bureau, CIA, FDIC, VA and FTC. Among top online retailers OTA notes that 45 percent have not adopted email authentication—leaving brands, domains, and most importantly consumers exposed to security and privacy threats. While OTA recognized many leading brands have adopted and increased online security measures (including Amazon, Dell, Office Depot, Apple, Costco and Staples), many others, (including Sears, Victoria’s Secret, Gap and Nordstrom) are failing to adequately defend their brands and customers through email authentication. More on the OTA analysis will be discussed at next week’s 2009 Online Trust Town Hall Meeting being held on April 23 in San Francisco. The meeting is being held at the Palace Hotel, Pacific Heights Rm., beginning at 1pm. Planned sessions include: Online Trust - State of the Union Update; Preparing for Disaster; Data Governance, Privacy, and the Value of the Free Internet!; and Moving Past Deliverability.

To register for the forum, and for further information on the agenda and speakers: https://www.otalliance.org/InternetTownHall.html

Published April 16, 2009