The Wall Street Journal, Sept 27, 1995 Microsoft and Visa Expected to Unveil Internet Technology By a WSJ Staff Reporter New York -- Microsoft Corp. and Visa International are expected to disclose details today of their technology for protecting commerce on the lnternet. The software company and bank clearinghouse have been working since last November on a plan for protecting creditcard numbers and other financial data from crooks, a major obstacle to the widespread use of computer networks for buying goods and services. As the largest players in software and credit cards, Microsoft and Visa wield considerable clout among a crowd of companies vying to set electronic-security standards. Their proposed specifications, calied Secure Transaction Technology, or STT, is partly based on a data-encryption technology popularized by RSA Data Security Inc., a closely held company in Redwood City, Calif. Other key players in the Internet-security race include MasterCard International Inc., the other name in bank cards, and Netscape Communications Corp., a leader in Internet software that has suffered some highly publicized security lapses lately. MasterCard announced plans to collaborate with Visa on security technology in June, but isn't expected to take part in the latest Visa-Microsoft announcement. [End]