“Maintaining Trust in an Electronic World”

Professor Peter P. Swire

George Washington University

Former Chief Counselor for Privacy for the United States Government

San Diego; July 11, 2001

Overview:

Tylenol as an example of gaining trust My background Banking Heritage of Trust:

Security Privacy Authentication

I. The Tylenol Example

History: Tylenol episode in 1982 7 people died from cyanide poisoned capsules Massive publicity worldwide Threatened a flagship product and Johnson &

Johnson itself

The Immediate Response

Tylenol as a textbook case of good crisis management

All pills immediately taken off store shelves Principles:

Long-run considerations drive decisions Take action immediately Provide truthful information

Visible Signs of Trust

Packaging sends strong, credible message that customer can trust the product

Pre-1982: Twist-off cap, then pills Today: Plastic wrap, then child-proof twist-

off cap, then foil seal to demonstrate physical integrity, then pills

Lessons from Tylenol

You must prepare for public relations challenges, especially for new products online: Very fast press cycle today Public perception of risk stokes press stories

What are you doing for financial services on-line to reinforce customer trust?

What compares to the foil seal?

II. My Background

Lawyer for banks and ABHC beginning in 1980s

Taught banking law 6 times in law schools Book on E.U. Data Protection Directive Academic writings on financial cryptography

and electronic payments Current research on computer security Editor of Cyberspace Law Abstracts

Chief Counselor for Privacy

Early 1999 became Clinton Administration Chief Counselor for Privacy (new position)

Gramm-Leach-Bliley & privacy Money laundering & privacy Encryption policy changes 1999 Safe harbor talks Medical privacy (including payments) Other privacy & e-commerce policy

III. Banking Heritage of Trust

Confidentiality and trust as great banking traditions

Trust: Safety and Soundness Financial stability & no runs Physical security -- the bank vault Trust that your money will be there

Heritage of Trust

Trust as Confidentiality: Customer as borrower Customer as depositor Customer who seeks advice from banker Customer who uses a bank’s cash management

services Trust that banker will not disclose my business

Heritage of Trust

Security Privacy Authentication

IV. Security and Trust

Lessons from history Information sharing and computer security

History: The Pay Telephone

The pay phone as a distributed payment system

Vulnerable pot of cash Early attacks by shock, gun, etc. Successive generations of learning by

security professionals Today, a mature & trusted technology

Lessons from the Pay Phone

Challenge today -- can have big outflow of cash over computer networks

“Open networks” like “open road” with phone booth in remote location

We will need successive generations of learning

Will need new encryption, procedures, etc. to become the standard

Security & Information Sharing

My current research: what should be hidden or open in computer security?

In physical world, security done by each institution -- competitors did not have the floor plans to your vault

Today, banks may use same software, hardware, standard procedures

Today, banks subject to same virus or other attack

Security & Information Sharing

When banks have same infrastructure and subject to same attacks, new reason to share security data

ISACs -- Information Sharing & Analysis Centers part of U.S. critical infrastructure protection effort

Moral: will need to trust other security professionals to face common threats, while guarding company proprietary information

V. Privacy

Is confidentiality in banking outdated? Perhaps:

Lower cost for all information flows One-to-one marketing uses data to deliver what the

customer wants, at a profit Mergers for banking, insurance, securities, etc. to

match customers with new products Customer profiling to reduce fraud and money

laundering

Privacy

Is confidentiality in banking outdated? Perhaps not:

Don't you, as an individual, expect your financial information to be treated confidentially?

WSJ poll on privacy in the new century Individuals and businesses cannot have each

purchase revealed to all the world

Are there real privacy problems?

U.S. Bank case, 1999 Information here from public documents U.S. Bank made major commitments to change

600,000 checking account customers name, home phone & address, SSN, DOB,

product code, account number, routing & transit number

U.S. Bank (continued)

330,000 credit card customers name, home address & phone, last purchase

date, date opened, current balance, credit limit, YTD finance charges, last payment date, amount last payment, SSN, DOB, behavior score, bankruptcy score

U.S. Bank (continued)

Notice: “Periodically we may share our cardholder lists with companies that supply products and services that we feel our customers will value.”

Apparently no opt-out Apparently similar activities by other banks

What problems from U.S. Bank?

Data released for unrelated purpose -- a dental plan

“Negative option” by Memberworks: Postcard then have 30 days to cancel If not, then billed annual fee ($59.95) Lots of complaints once fee taken out of

account

New U.S. Privacy Law as a Response Notice -- the bank’s policy Choice -- customers can say no to transfers

to third parties Enforcement -- examiner authority as with

other consumer laws Anti-fraud: fight pretext calling and identity

theft, scrutinize risky data flows

Why customer choice?

Don't “stop all marketing” Do respect choices of individuals who do

not want marketing or other transfers The price of opening an account should not

be undisclosed and unlimited data flows Consumers’ ability to choose creates trust,

and less need for fear

What will happen next for privacy laws? In U.S., may have more privacy laws in

coming years Internet-specific law? Financial services laws -- state or federal?

Safe Harbor and financial services To satisfy regulators, press & public,

financial companies should expect to announce good policies & follow them

VI. Authentication and Trust

In electronic environment, how can you be sure that it is the real customer?

First question -- do you need to know the identity? Cash Smart cards & can be without identity

Levels of Authentication

Where identify, can have levels of authentication, often with loss limits

For ATMs, $300 daily limit and 4-digit PIN Debit cards as a loss limit -- customer can’t

lose more than the account balance For credit cards, customer has $50 loss limit

& banks have anti-fraud programs up to customer credit limit

Authentication

But, how to do big transactions? For consumers, that may take a long time

Walk before run Amazon online before mortgage online Can “Grandma lose her house”?

Authentication

For businesses, build infrastructure Banks as certificate authorities for digital

signatures Rely on institutional controls, much as you do

for large corporate checks Remember the pay telephone:

Successive generations Improve the ways to authenticate and be secure

Conclusions

Tylenol and the foil seal: what are you doing to give visible demonstrations of trustworthiness?

Security– The pay phone & constant improvement– When to share information

Conclusions (continued)

Privacy:– Confidentiality in banking is not outdated– Develop policies and follow them

Authentication– Walk before you run– Use stop losses & other tools to manage risk

To gain trust you must deserve trust:

President Clinton, at Aspen Institute:

“Do you have privacy policies you can be proud of? Do you have privacy policies you would be glad to have reported in the media?”

For security, privacy & authentication:

If you can be proud of your policies, then they will gain trust, and help your organization prosper, in the information age.

That is your job in the coming years

Contact Information

Professor Peter Swire Phone: (301) 213-9587 Email: pswire@main.nlc.gwu.edu Web: www.osu.edu/units/law/swire.htm Presidential Privacy Archives:

www.privacy2000.org (containing privacy documents from Clinton Administration)