International Telecommunication Union Sees Risks to Privacy, Security Online

The International Telecommunication Union isn't pleased with all the personal information out there:

GENEVA (Reuters) - Computer users who type in the same username and password for multiple sites -- such as online banks, travel agencies and booksellers -- are at serious risk from identity thieves, a United Nations agency said on Sunday.

The International Telecommunication Union, a Geneva-based U.N. branch, said businesses and regulators need to find a solution to the spread of personal information on the Internet, possibly by developing more streamlined identification methods.

At the moment, the ITU said the sheer number of identifiers and passwords required from computer users made it nearly inevitable that they repeat codes.

"This may cause security breaches, and leave them vulnerable to the machinations of identity thieves ever increasing in number and inventiveness," it said in its 2006 Internet report, released ahead of a major meeting of governments and industry officials in Hong Kong....

I'm not seeing the report at ITU's website; apparently it hasn't made it up there quite yet from the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006, "LIVING THE DIGITAL WORLD" event in Hong Kong. They go on to say it could adversely affect commerce on the internet if it remains unchecked.

It is a good point. Is this a call to centralize data on users? It's hard to say without seeing the report itself, but the problem is real enough - but commercial attempts such as Microsoft Passport Network have conflicted with people's digital rights and suffered security problems.

Is a solution to these concerns more about user education and accountability than technology? I think a major part of that is left out of these concerns. I'm leery of governmental agencies and (especially) corporations holding such personal information for users- especially considering that every attempt to discuss matters related to the internet has only evolved different permutations and combinations of the same words and acronyms.

Maybe we're getting back to biometrics again? That would be a solution, but then it also increases the cost of internet usage in a world where it still remains out of reach for many. No easy answers here.