Date: 27 September '02
GTA and FINREAD : trust and confidence for bank card transactions on open networks
PKI is based upon the distribution of certificates to the end users. In many cases the certificate will be stored on a smart card, both for security and marketing reasons. In all cases a card id used, there must be a dialogue between card and cardholder: but information entered at the PC keyboard or displayed on the PC screen cannot be entirely trusted, as intrusions in PCs are possible. In order to provide a secure environment for conducting e-transactions, many experts suggest combining smart card technology with secure readers. The FINREAD (Financial Transactional IC Card Reader) consortium has defined specifications for a low-cost secure chip card reader based on the business, functional and security requirements of the banking and payment industries. The major goals addressed by FINREAD are interoperability and security. FINREAD allows applications developed by different providers to be downloaded into any FINREAD compliant card reader. Security is ensured through a secure display, a secure keypad and card reader authentication. Secure downloading of applications relies on a PKI infrastructure that certifies and signs the applets. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of FINREAD readers in an environment of trust, a consortium of payment systems, manufacturers and a certification authority have decided to team up together. The resulting Trusted FINREAD Consortium is composed of the following organisations : MasterCard Europe (formerly Europay International), Groupement des Cartes Bancaires "CB" (French bank card scheme - co-ordinator of the project), GTA (Certification authority), Ingenico (card readers manufacturer), Interpay Nederland (Dutch bank card scheme), Omnikey (Austrian smart card solutions providers), SCM Microsystems (card reader manufacturer), SIZ (computer processing centre of the German Savings Banks) and Visa EU (international card payment scheme). The Trusted FINREAD project consists in the implementation and testing of FINREAD readers in an environment of trust. It goes from the creation of a complete certification infrastructure to the deployment of a pilot test. This initiative intends to demonstrate and validate the interoperability of applications, which means that applets developed by any card issuing entity (e.g. a payment scheme, an official governmental body, a social welfare organisation, etc.) should run on any FINREAD compliant reader, independently of the manufacturer. GTA and FINREAD have decided to take the opportunity of SIBOS 2002 (from 30 September to 4 October 2002) to show how the GTA infrastructure can be used to securely download applications to a trusted FINREAD compliant smartcard reader. A demonstration of the FINREAD interoperability will take place on GTA-FINREAD booth (F211) during the whole event.

Date: 1 July '02
Jean-Marc BORNET has been appointed as the new Managing Director of The GTA, in replacement of John TUNSTALL. Brussels, September 27, 2002: Jean-Marc BORNET (51 Years old) was the C.E.O of Groupement Carte Bleue, a French VISA Group member, regrouping 150 banks, from 1992 to 1999, and at the same time he was member of the Board and a member of the Executive Committee of VISA European Union. From 1999 until 2001 he was the Managing Director of MODEUS SA, a wireless electronic purse supported by French banks and public transporters. In 2001, he was in charge of restructuring Cyber-COMM SA, a joint venture composed of French banks and companies like France-Telecom, Alcatel, Gemplus, etc, and devoted to secured payment on the Internet. John TUNSTALL will remain as an advisor of the GTA, up to the end of year 2002. The Global Trust Authority ( GTA) is a not for profit, co-operative grouping, currently comprising financial sector institutions or associations. The GTA is registered in Belgium and located in Brussels. Membership can be extended to other sectors subject to Board decision on a case by case basis. The GTA provides an infrastructure of trust that can be used by all sectors, to conduct cross border e-business in a secure environment where the liability incurred at both ends of the transaction chain is respected.

Date: 21 August '00
The registration of Global Trust Authority (GTA), announced today, will provide a basis for conducting secure world-wide e-commerce. The founding banks, co-operating in the registration of the GTA in Brussels, Belgium, will provide an organisation that is expected to grow, not only in country representation, but also by the sectors that are accepted as members. The infrastructure, provided by GTA, will create an environment where security and liability acceptance are fundamental features. This environment will be based on the GTA Infrastructure, complying with the requirements of the European Directive on Electronic Signature.

Date: 6 September '99
Today a group of Banks and Banking Associations, representing in excess of 800 banks, have announced the setting up of a Global Trust Authority (GTA) to facilitate secure world-wide interchange for e-commerce over the Internet.