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Hongkong Post e-Cert -
The Solution to Online Trading
We have all witnessed the explosion of Internet services and how they have integrated
into our daily lives. People are now used to
sending e-mail, exchanging electronic data and
conducting commercial transactions over the Internet
or other electronic means regularly.
Like a lot of us however, you probably still wonder how secure your online transactions
are. Concerns arise as to whether:
- a person is really who he/she claims to be;
- your e-mail content has been tampered with; and
- the privacy of your electronic communications with others can be protected.
That is why Hongkong Post built a Public Key Infrastructure ("PKI") in early 2000 and became the first public recognized certification authority
("CA") under the Electronic Transactions Ordinance ("ETO") (Cap. 553). As a recognized CA, Hongkong Post CA issues recognized digital
certificates ("e-Cert") that comply with the provisions of the ETO. Under the ETO, digital signature
supported by an e-Cert has the same legal status
as a handwritten signature. Hongkong Post e-Cert
is issued to individuals and businesses to authenticate
the online identity of subscribers and to facilitate
the conduct of online transactions in a secure
and trusted environment. Hongkong Post CA also
maintains a certificate repository and directory
to allow the public to verify the validity of
a particular Hongkong Post e-Cert.
[Recognition Status] of Hongkong Post CA and e-Cert.
Hongkong
Post e-Cert facilitates secure online transactions
- Authentication - proof of identity of the parties in an
electronic transaction;
- Integrity - proof
that the message contents have not been
altered, deliberately or accidentally,
during transmission;
- Non-Repudiation -
prevention of denial of commitment with
digital signature supported by an e-Cert;
and
- Confidentiality - protection that the content
and information of a transaction is kept
private and secret from unauthorised
third parties.
The types of Hongkong
Post digital certificates
Hongkong Post Certification Authority issues the following types of digital certificates
to individuals and organisations in Hong Kong:-
Hongkong Post Certification Authority ceases to issue the following Bank-Cert
with effect from 31 March 2010:-
Outsourced Operations of Hongkong Post Certification Authority
In 2006, the Hong Kong SAR Government contracted out the Hongkong Post Certification
Authority (HKPCA) operations to a private company,
E-Mice Solutions (HK) Limited ("Contractor"), for operating and maintaining the systems and services of the HKPCA for a
period from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2012.
The Contractor is allowed to use the personal
data you provided only in performing its obligations
under the contract for the provision of the
HKPCA services.
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