Firms to Introduce Anti-Hacking Standard

Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp. and VeriSign Inc. will publish a proposed new specification to tell companies how to build Web services that can’t be hacked. The specification, called WS-Security, defines a set of standard ways to build Web services that make sure unauthorized users can’t view or alter the information exchanged by such services. The move attempts to address customer concern that so-called Web services will let hackers steal critical data.