The Brussels based Financial Information Services and Consulting Group NV, is developing an Internet Java and Active X banking toolkit with what they claim is 168 bit public key encryption, for enabling security in both retail and corporate banking. The Toolkit runs on flavors of Unix and Windows, Apple Macintosh and JavaOS. The company provides a complete retail banking toolkit, which has recently been implemented by the Royal Bank of Scotland in its internet banking trial. The toolkit is in two parts, with a Secure Socket Applet, which downloads itself at connection and maintains a secure link with the Secure Socket Server, which securely connects to the back office. As the system includes 168 bit encryption, and US restrictions cover both import and export of cryptography, it is only available outside the US, at a cost of 250,000 pounds per installation. Financial Information Services is looking to move out of its previous core market in transaction tracking software and into the expanding field of internet commerce systems.
