Deepnet Technologies hs created www.phishspot.com, an effort wherein it seeks "virtual vigilantes" to report "rogue websites and stamp out ID theft." The company says this is Europe's first "virtual vault" for websites practicing phishing and related scams.
People may register suspicious sites at Phishspot, and the company says it will share the
information it generates with law enforcement agencies in the Europe
and the US.
Already tried and tested in Deepnet's own Deepnet Explorer browser, the
Phishspot database has taken nearly six months to compile and now
contains over 10,000 known phishing sites targeting over 100 of the
world's most famous e-commerce businesses and banks, the company reports.
Ebay, Paypal and
Citibank are currently ranked amongst the most common targets for
phishers world wide. Barclays and Halifax currently top the cyber
criminal's list of UK based businesses to attack.
"Together we can combat the cyber criminal," says Deepnet's Yurong Lin.
"The Phishspot database is already the most comprehensive list of fake
web sites available anywhere, and with the help of the web's most
conscientious surfers we'd like to make sure we keep it that way.
Deepnet
Explorer was launched in July 2004 by Deepnet Technologies. The company is
funded by CEO Yurong Lin. The company "aims to offer Internet users an alternative browser with superior
versatility, performance and security, according to company spokesperson Anneli Ritari. "With innovation as a key goal, Deepnet
was the first to launch a web browser with RSS new reader and P2P client
integration, the first to develop an anti-phishing solution to web browser, and
the first to introduce web password hashing in a web browser. We strive to
provide innovative solutions."
The company claims one million downloads to date, with a user base that is growing at a rate of 3,000 to 6,000 downloads per day, Ritari reports. About one-third of its user base is in the U.S., with 13% in the UK, and the rest scattered throughout the world.
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