Pick Your Security Officer's Brain

Widespread adoption of such standards will be the only way to advance robust business-to-consumer commerce this year, says Dixon.

Van de Gohm agrees: "ISO 17799 will help to demonstrate that you've met a minimum level of integrity. It will introduce that elusive element of trust, because business partners can say, 'I know what your security processes are, since we both have the same certification.' "

Checklist Put together a security team to get up to speed on HIPAA and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requirements. List your company's top vulnerabilities and look at critical applications to determine risk levels. Develop stronger user-awareness policies. Teach users to protect confidentiality. Get involved. Join a working group that's helping to draft international security standards.