Control Data Helps Establish First Cross-Certification Between Nations.

ARDEN HILLS, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 19, 1998--Control Data Systems, Inc. today announced it has helped Canada and Singapore complete interoperability trials to cross-certify their Public Key Infrastructures. When fully operational, the capability will ensure privacy and authenticity for a variety of electronic transactions between the two countries.

"This is a key requirement in establishing an infrastructure that will speed business and government transactions across international borders," said Dave Folsom, vice president and chief technology officer for Control Data.

In a secure electronic commerce environment, parties wishing to exchange documents must digitally sign them using a certificate (or digital signature) that identifies users and secures transaction data. Certificates are issued by a Certificate Authority (CA), which verifies the information presented in the certificate and, in the process, helps create a more reliable environment for electronic transactions.

Under current conditions, if a Singapore business wants to trade electronically with a Canadian firm, it must know the Canadian CA that supports that specific firm. This process is cumbersome, especially for international trade, since every member of every community must store and retrieve certification for each of its trading partners. With the new cross certification arrangement between Singapore and Canada, Control Data's X.500 directories in Singapore can automatically verify a Canadian certificate for the Singapore business. The Singapore firm can be certain that the certificate is authentic, and, as a result, its electronic transactions can be executed much faster and more efficiently.

With interoperability trials now completed, Canada and Singapore will define common public key policies and practices in the next phase of development. Control Data will continue to work with Netrust Pte Ltd., the Singapore CA, to develop a framework that will expand the network of cross-certified public keys to include other countries.

The announcement is a major milestone of the Cross-Certification Implementing Arrangement, signed between The Communications Security Establishment of Canada and the National Computer Board of Singapore in November 1997. The agreement was established in recognition of the absence of a mechanism for establishing trust between users across borders. The agreement aims to establish cross-certified Public Key Infrastructures (PKI) between the two countries, supported by a set of common PKI policies and practices. Singapore established its PKI in May 1997 by deploying Netrust Pte Ltd., the region's first Certification Authority.

Control Data Systems, Inc. is a global electronic commerce integration company dedicated to helping transform industries and client organizations through the design, implementation and operation of intranet/internet solutions and electronic collaborative communities. With its E-business applications, intranet/internet directory services, consulting and outsourcing professional services, the company helps business and government to improve their ability to communicate electronically and conduct business. For more information, call 1-888-742-5864 in the U.S. (1-612-415-2999 internationally) or visit Control Data's Web site at www.cdc.com.

    CONTACT: Control Data Systems, Minneapolis
              Greg McCullough, 612/415-4859
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