Microsoft, I.B.M. and VeriSign to Cooperate on Web Security "The new specification, known as WS-Security, defines a standard set of extensions to the basic Web services communications technology, called simple object access protocol, or SOAP. These extensions can be used to build security features into Web services applications. A Web services application might, for example, link a company's inventory data with a supplier's data and, obeying programmed instructions, reorder parts automatically when they run low."