Press release July 17, 2002

Effective protection against viruses and unwanted dialers directly from the provider
VERIO Germany implements SaferSurf by Nutzwerk

Following the start of the patented protection service for internet and eMail on 25th May 2002, already more than 1200 customers have registered. The SaferSurf technology for internet users is offered by the Nutzwerk company. SaferSurf reliably removes viruses, dialers and unwanted advertisements directly from the data stream. SaferSurf checks all incoming data in real-time and only passes on "clean" bits and bytes. eMails that were filtered out are saved in the Trash on the SaferSurf server and can be restored if necessary. SaferSurf supports all POP3 and IMAP mailboxes. Web pages that contain a virus are not displayed; instead SaferSurf shows a warning.

Nutzwerk considers itself a technology provider and offers SaferSurf for the completion and extension of existing services. "We have developed SaferSurf to protect all internet users automatically against viruses and data rubbish. We have chosen NTT/VERIO not only for hosting this revolutionary technology – in NTT/VERIO we have also found a strong partner", says René Holzer, CEO of Nutzwerk and inventor of the real-time data filter SaferSurf.

Even if the German IT association BITKOM repeats over and over again that there is no technical solution to enable providers to protect the users effectively against the dangers of the internet, the Japanese-American company stands by its clients when it comes to viruses and unwanted dialers and implements SaferSurf in its offers.

"SaferSurf is brilliantly simple. The customer does not need to install or maintain anything. He simply puts SaferSurf in front of his mailboxes. Viruses, unwanted dialers and other data rubbish is eliminated during the loading process", says Mr Teske, Partner Account Manager of NTT/VERIO in Germany. "We as the provider have to make sure that our clients can use the internet in a safe way. Otherwise the clients will go where they get automatic security", continues Teske.

NTT/VERIO is a subsidiary company of NTT Communications, being the international hosting branch of the NTT group – the world's biggest telecommunications company and globally number 15 of all companies.

In November 2001 the real-time data filter won the innovation prize of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. A complete protection package only costs 4.90 euros/dollars per month for private users.

"Providers who do not offer their customers a central protection against viruses and unwanted dialers will hardly be able to survive. Just think of the insolvency of KPNQuest. It is not enough any more to merely offer a data line or a web server", says Ramona Wonneberger, CEO of Nutzwerk, on the occasion of signing the contract for the partnership with NTT/Verio.

About VERIO:
NTT/VERIO is a subsidiary company of NTT Communications (NTT Com), an international telecommunications provider that operates in more than 200 countries all over the world. NTT/VERIO is one of the world's biggest web hosting companies and a leading provider of extensive IP services. The company provides web hosting, managed services, e-commerce, virtual private networks and dedicated access to customers in more than 170 countries and supports its business relationships by a global infrastructure, including tier-1 network. NTT/VERIO markets its products and services in Europe via its offices in France, England, Spain and Germany. The combination of VERIO and NTT Com offers internet services that can satisfy the ever-growing different needs of all companies – including globally operating companies, multi-national corporations and small to medium-sized companies.