Security implications for EDI

The rapid development of the EDIFACT payment message sets, together with the growth of EDI usage expected in the next few years, has meant that EDI message security is a real requirement which is being addressed by the standards bodies. It should be remembered that the adoption of the message security standards by themselves will be insufficient to provide a fully secure environment for EDI transactions. This can only be created by implementing internal systems that in themselves provide accountability for user identification and access and which have been installed in conjunction with a certification authority as well as with corporate auditors. Security implementations for EDI payments are already under development by the banks. Experience gained in these initiatives will provide an indication of the levels of security required in practice to meet the needs of the EDI user