The politics and policies of enhancing trustworthiness for information systems
Marjory S. Blumenthal · Communication Law and Policy · 1999
This article describes how the integration of computing and communications complicates policy choices for protecting information systems. The technical challenge in the aggregate can be labeled “trustworthiness.” Its dimensions include information security, privacy of personal data and system safety and reliability. Although a holistic technical approach is promising, forging a consistent policy solution is another matter. Proposals for new institutions recur, while calls for public‐private partnership are a new theme. Yet industry signals growing discomfort with government programs associated with national security and law enforcement, fueling conflict and controversy over cryptography policy. Meanwhile, more federal agencies are addressing relevant issues, and more private sector organizations have entered the advocacy game. The article describes multiple policy legacies, key players and perspectives and policy trends. It outlines issues that shape the context for policy that responds to dependence on networked information systems.