State licenses digital signature firm

Tuesday, April 11, 2000 | 11:12 a.m.

A new method of enhancing security in conducting business on the Internet was unveiled today by Secretary of State Dean Heller.

Nevada was among the first states to legally recognize digital signatures on e-commerce, which allows verification of the source of an Internet transaction.

Beau Pankiw, information technology coordinator in the secretary of state's office, said Monday a pilot project will be started to allow annual filings of lists of officers for corporations. At present, they are filed either personally in Las Vegas or Carson City or are mailed in.

The new system will allow filing on the Internet, with the sender using a coded identity so that the state office can validate the name.

"This literally dissolves the borders of Nevada," Pankiw said. "If you're sitting in Paris or another foreign city, you can do the same business as sitting in Carson City."

Today, Heller was to license a California-based company, VeriSign, as Nevada's first digital signature certifying authority. A business or state agency that wants to use the enhanced security system would apply to VeriSign, which would then send the software.

Pankiw said VeriSign would charge a fee of about $100, depending on the level of security desired. After installing the software, the business could transact its e-commerce with an agency or company that is also hooked up to VeriSign.

Pankiw said he expected two or three more companies to compete in Nevada with VeriSign, which operates in eight other states.