OISTE is the Organisation Internationale pour la Sécurité des Transactions Electroniques.

The OISTE Foundation is a non-for-profit international organization based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Founded in 1998, OISTE was created with the objectives of promoting the use and adoption of international standards to secure electronic transactions, expand the use of digital certification and ensure the interoperability of certification authorities’ e-transaction systems.

OISTE cooperates in the determination of international e-commerce and e-government security and use of certification standards, both technical and legal, applicable to e-services in general based on Global Public Key Infrastructures (PKI) created in cooperation with WISeKey and the International Telecommunication Union (www.itu.int/ITU-D/ecdc/about.html.). In this regard the OISTE CA is acting as a ROOT Certification Authority for developed and developing countries and establishing certification and registration authorities, including the establishment of a secure Internet for participating countries and communities.

The OISTE Root Certification Authority (CA) has been designed and is operated in accordance with the broad strategic direction of international PKI standards and is intended to serve as a Common Root for Certification Authorities worldwide that comply with OISTE requirements.

OISTE offers a coordination role for the establishment of a global information infrastructure among international organizations, government and private sector organizations involving information infrastructure development and applications.

OISTE also serves as a platform for discussion, debate and action on the key issues related to International Secure Electronic Transactions.

OISTE has developed a unique “Trust model” which is adopted by the Foundation members.  It owns the Root Cryptographic Keys used by the Infrastructure.

OISTE has a strong and unique relationship with WISeKey which is, the trusted operator of the Common Root.

The objects of the Foundation are:

• Determination of international e-services security and use of certification standards, both technical and legal, applicable to electronic commerce worldwide and to the Global Public Key Infrastructure and the issuance of certification and registration authorities;
• Establishment of a secure Internet in disadvantaged areas, such as developing countries;
• Expands the use of digital certification;
• Custody of a Global Common Root for Certification Authorities;
• Promotes the adoption and the use of international certification standards to secure electronic transactions;
• Ensures global interoperability of certification authorities (CAs) in e-transaction systems;
• Enables a more secure Internet as an Incubator of ROOT Key in Switzerland for countries that can not afford to have them at national level;
• Capacities to create policies that applies to the Trust Infrastructure;
• Ensures representativeness on and neutrality

In order to implement its objects, the Foundation shall:

• Cooperate with international organizations, governments, non governmental organizations, private sector and non for profit organizations in relation to Public Key Infrastructure projects;
• Promote multi-stakeholder investments in order to expand the reach of Public Key Infrastructures worldwide;
• Coordinate the expansion of public key infrastructure worldwide development and  its use as an enabling medium for their business or activity;
• Promote projects and programs utilizing the Internet and information technology applications in support of key areas such as health care, education, environment, technology and know-how transfer and poverty alleviation;
• Provide financial, technical and legal advice for private sector ventures and project in developing countries in order to help governments create conditions that stimulate the flow of both domestic and foreign private savings and investments for a global public key infrastructure based on a Common Shared Global ROOT;
• Facilitate and coordinate the development, deployment, operation and technology transfer of advanced network-based applications to accelerate the availability of new services and applications on the Global PKI Infrastructure;
• Be authorized to make investments in the form of the purchase of property, including intellectual property and the provision of venture capital to companies or entities conducting activities related to the Foundation's objects.

OISTE Official site