iCONOMY, 1-2/2002, page 18 ff. (translated from German)
Lucrative Business with Fear
The discussion is getting fiercer: Are companies facing higher security risks from the internet or are merely old weaknesses laid open? Some people suspect it might just be a business with fear.
Miltiadis Oulios
… Incoming data can always be checked for their authenticy because the contents is transferred using a check sum. However, a mass-compatible beta version is not yet available.
 "Are security experts afraid not to make money out of the users' fear of viruses any more?" |
But in fact no user will have to wait for this. The software company Nutzwerk GmbH from Halle is already giving the IT security industry a headache. They have developed a data filter that analyzes data streams in real-time and is supposed to eliminate unwanted files or accesses. All this at the provider. Viruses would be filtered out there and access from outside to certain ports would be prevented. In addition, data that are not supposed to leave the company would be stopped at the internet access provider. Every user defines their own individual filter rules. This means that there is no need for the installation of anti-virus programs and firewalls or additional costs for maintenance and updates any more. "We want that everybody can protect themselves", says CEO René Holzer with a shrug.
The pioneers have already received the innovation prize of the city of Leipzig for their data filter – and probably incurred the anger of the data protectionists. Those are afraid that this is a mighty tool for censorship and eavesdropping. Holzer calms them down. After all, customers also trust their providers no to disclose their eMail traffic. According to Holzer, in future security is going to be a service that can be paid for together with the online access – for no more than 2 euros per month. "Systems houses and security experts are not going to like that", predicts CEO Holzer, "but we don't care."
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