CA/Browser Forum Announces Organizational Reform Working Group

The CA/Browser Forum is a voluntary organization of leading certification authorities (CAs) and vendors of Internet browser software and other applications. At the twenty fifth face to face meeting of the CA/Browser Forum, held in Santa Clara, California, USA on February 22 and 23rd, 2012, the membership agreed to form a working group on organizational reform. The task of this group will be to develop and present to the full organization, by April 16th, proposals for a new charter and bylaws. The CA/Browser Forum recognizes the growing importance of the PKI marketplace as a critical piece of Internet infrastructure, and the need to continue to safeguard and advance the public’s trust in the Internet as a secure place for communication, socialization and commerce. The goal of the reform will be to evolve the organization into a more mature and capable, multi-stakeholder forum that can promote the growth and maintenance of the public PKI and certificate ecosystem in the interests of Internet security and the broader public good. Key topics to be addressed by the special working group include:

• Formal incorporation of the Forum;
• A broader scope of action;
• Wider membership and participation in the Forum, including by certificate subscribers, relying parties, and users; and
• A more open and public process.

In support of this process, the special working group is soliciting short (no more than 750 words, please) position papers and statements of interest from organizations and individuals on these topics. We encourage stakeholders to submit their comments to now through March 30, 2012. All submissions will be posted publicly on the CA/Browser Forum website. (www.cabforum.org)