Social Security Public Forums

[Robert Hettinga]

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From: john.t.sabo at ssa.gov
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 97 18:30:41 -0500
To: members at lists.Commerce.Net
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Cc: john.t.sabo at s3abac8.ns1.barrnet.net
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Subject: Social Security Public Forums
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     Fellow Commercenet Members:

     I wanted to make you and your companies aware of an important series
     of six National Forums that the Social Security Administration will be
     conducting throughout the country beginning May 5 through the week of
     June 9, in which SSA will seek public input and expert advice about
     the appropriate customer authentication and privacy safeguards needed
     to support SSA's Internet transaction services and ensure public
     trust.

     The forums are in response to the media and public concerns raised
     about our test of Interactive PEBES, which allowed individuals to
     request a Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement from SSA
     online and receive the response online, rather than via the mail,
     after providing five knowledge-based customer authenticating elements.
     The initial concerns were centered about the use of the five elements,
     but media attention soon extended to a range of intermingled Internet
     and security concerns.  As a result, we suspended the test and
     announced a 60-day period of expert and public input on this important
     public policy issue.

     We invite interested CommerceNet members to consider participating in
     the forums and offering your expert opinion to the government.  I'm
     including current information about the forums, and expect to have
     more details shortly.  I'll be contacting members I know who have
     expressed interest in providing input, but would welcome hearing from
     other companies who would like to participate in informed public
     discussion and public education.

     John Sabo
     Social Security Administration
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Social Security
National Forum on Internet Services -- Backgrounder

We are seeking expert opinion regarding a major public policy issue facing the
Social Security Administration: the appropriate privacy, system security and
other safeguards necessary for SSA to provide transaction services on the
Internet with strong public confidence.

You may be aware that, in response to public concerns raised about our test of
the Interactive Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (Interactive
PEBES) service on the Internet, SSA suspended the test and announced that we
would seek public input on the design of the system, particularly with respect
to the authentication and privacy policies and system safeguards necessary to
ensure public confidence in Interactive PEBES and in future Internet services
planned by SSA.

To do this, we have scheduled a series of public forums in Hartford (May
5), Des
 Moines (week of May 12), Atlanta (week of May 19), San Jose (week of May 26),
Austin (week of June 2), and Washington D.C. (week of June 9).  We also
plan to
schedule an Internet Town Meeting on our Website, www.ssa.gov.

The forums will address important national issues which reach far beyond our
test of the Interactive PEBES.  The safeguarding of individual privacy -- as
technology removes barriers to accessing confidential information -- and the
public's understanding of and trust in using the Internet both for secure,
confidential government services and business and financial services are the
core critical issues.  That is why your input is so important.

We are now identifying interested individuals and organizations who wish to
participate on panels at each of the six public forum locations.  Although we
are unable to provide compensation for your participation, we also invite
comments in writing or via email if you cannot attend a forum in person.

We envision three 1 1/4 -hour panels of  5 people expert in these broad areas:
Privacy, Systems Security and  the Business/Financial Internet community.
There
will also be open sessions where members of the public may register to speak.

However you or your company may choose to participate,  I urge you to consider
offering us your thoughtful input into this important national discussion.













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-----------------
Robert Hettinga (rah at shipwright.com), Philodox
e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
Lesley Stahl: "You mean *anyone* can set up a web site and compete
               with the New York Times?"
Andrew Kantor: "Yes."  Stahl:  "Isn't that dangerous?"
The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/