Secures 300+ Business Clients, 100K Personal Users

Since the virus attack of January 25 last year, Korean computer users have realized the importance of security issues. One of the areas where there has been heightened awareness is unsolicited email messages, or spam. The government and industry quickly responded to the rising threat, by setting forth regulations and developing solutions to fight spammers. But spam problems are hard to eradicate.

Below, we hear from the leader in spam-fighting technology, ComTrue Technologies. Company president Noh-Hyun Park tells us how his company has fared in battling unscrupulous marketers and what's in store for his development efforts.

by Lee Kwang - jae, Reporter / voxpop@ittimes.co.kr

Spam is one of the biggest headaches for individual computer users and corporate computing system managers alike. They have become a major conduit through which personal information is leaked and viruses are spread. They also generate huge traffic blocking the flow of important data. Pornographers ensnare children to their sites through spam.

The government has already enacted rules and regulations, forcing marketers to following strict guidelines when sending out commercial messages through email. Nevertheless, spam is still on the rise. According to recent industry survey, eight to nine out of ten email messages are spam, of which only two turn out to be regular messages with '@' signs on them. That's how tough cracking down on spammers is. After the beheading of a Korean worker in Iraq and subsequent spread of the video clip depicting the scene on the Internet, the government stepped up its effort to enforce the rules on spam.

That's where ComTrue comes in. The company's anti-spam software is already the best among Internet users. ComTrue was founded in 1995 with its proprietary 'push' technology. The company changed its name in 1997 to its present one. Since that time, it brought to market a cellular phone receiving mode changer, knowledge management system, and others. For the products it developed, the company received several awards, including some from the Ministry of Information and Communication.

In 2002, broadband deployment had already surpassed 50 percent of the nation's population. As the problems of spam intensified, the company responded with a new product to catch spammers. Mr. Park of ComTrue said, "Spam mail is evolving as we speak. So the spamblocking software should be able to collect latest information on spam and continuously update itself." "Our spam-blocking solution called 'CleanSpam' is a good way to keep safe corporate and individual computing environments," he added.

CleanSpam is applicable to any generic corporate mail system environment (Windows, Linux, or Solaris), installable without modifications on existing system. It provides complementary spam mail logic in both server and client sides. It features a 3-stage layered filtering function, giving it the capability to not miss even one small piece of spam. CleanSpam also provides real-time information through central server filter rules and filter sets for quick information updates, saving time and cost for system managers.

Currently ComTrue Technologies offers three solutions, 'CleanSpam Enterprise" 'CleanSpam Outlook' (Outlook Express), and 'Clean-e'. As its name suggests, CleanSpam Enterprise is for corporate environment, supporting online filtering service and remote update. It comes packaged with hardware, featuring efficient spammanagement policy, flexible spam definition, and easy-to-use user interface. ComTrue has supplied the solution to more than 300 corporate clients including KT, KTS, Kogas, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, Synkey Group, and Iroonet.

CleanSpam Outlook and CleanSpam Outlook Express are intended for personal computer users. Upon installation, these software programs will automatically create a CleanSpam mailbox into which spam is directed and contained. It works by continuously sending out updated blocking rules to the user. The two products are in use by more than 100,000 individuals. Clean-e, attachable to the Web browser, blocks out adult material on the Internet for PC users. Daum currently uses this service for its Hanmail service. ComTrue is leading a campaign to make the Internet environment wholesome, in partnership with Microsoft, Fair Trade Commission, Dong-A Daily, Intizen, and Electronic Times.

The domestic spam-blocking software market is expected to be 10 billion won this year. Of this, ComTrue aims to claim 20 percent, or 2 billion won worth. One of the encouraging signs for the company is that the Ministry of Information and Communication announced recently a plan to install spam-blocking software at more than 12,000 sites including public offices and universities. ComTrue reckons it would take at least 30 percent of this newly expanding market.

ComTrue will strive to deliver the finest service for its clients in order to make the Internet safe and enjoyable. For this purpose, the company now operates two Internet sites for customer information (www.cleanspam.co.kr, www.comtru.com). The company is seeking to explore overseas markets once it establishes a foothold in the domestic market.

pam has become an issue in any country with sufficient number of computers and Internet connections. A global problem requires a global solution." Mr. Park said ince Korea is leading a global initiative to control spam, we are in a great position to become a global anti-spam solution provider."