NetSTAR

TOKYO June 17, 2010

　TOKYO—June 17, 2010—NetSTAR, Inc., Japan’s premier developer of URL filtering product technologies and services, today announced the formation of a partnership with the Council of Anti-Phishing Japan (headquartered at the Japan Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center, or JPCERT/CC), and the use of phishing URL data in the filtering products and services and anti-spam services of partner companies. This is the first time in Japan that phishing URL data has been applied to corporate filtering, mobile telephone filtering, and anti-spam measures.

　NetSTAR URL lists are highly-regarded in the corporate filtering market and are used in the InterSafe WebFilter by Alps System Integration, Co., Ltd., and InterScan WebManager by Trend Micro, Inc., among others. They are also used in a wide range of consumer-focused applications, such as the router-level filtering service “Family Smile", as well as filtering services for mobile phones and anti-spam services.
　As with URLs in other categories, NetSTAR has been independently collecting and categorizing URLs of phishing and one-click fraud sites, and has been actively extending the list data that it provides to clients. To increase the effectiveness of these URL lists as a countermeasure against these malicious sites and spam, in April this year NetSTAR put a system into operation that immediately distributes updated URL lists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is just one example of what we are capable of as a dedicated provider of URL lists to our partners.
　By joining forces with the Council of Anti-Phishing Japan, NetSTAR is able to obtain up-to-the-minute information on phishing site URLs. This information will be distributed as part of NetSTAR’s URL lists for use in the filtering products and services and anti-spam measures provided by partner companies.  By doing so, we will reduce the risk of users unwittingly accessing a malicious web site before steps can be taken to permanently close it, thus suffering identity theft or other misfortune.

　Phishing methods are both increasing in number and becoming more devious, and so NetSTAR, the Council of Anti-Phishing Japan, and JPCERT/CC continue working to strengthen security countermeasures, creating a safer Internet environment for everyone.

About NetSTAR URL Lists
　NetSTAR specializes in the development of URL filtering software and services, and in the collection, categorization, and delivery of URL lists. Recognized for their high performance and low false positive rate, our high-quality URL lists are used by all Japanese mobile telephone and PHS telephone providers (*1) and by large companies with strict quality requirements, including approximately 60% of prefectural governments, 40% of central government agencies, and 40% of the companies in the Nikkei Excellent Company Ranking, which is proof of their excellence. (*2) NetSTAR has gained much recognition for the broad applicability of their individual URL lists as well as the quality and reliability of its collection, categorization, and delivery processes, becoming the industry’s de facto standard.
http://www.netstar-inc.com/
　*1.New lists are distributed daily for use in the filtering systems of NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, Softbank Mobile, WILLCOM, and EMOBILE　*2. Based on NetSTAR's research.

About the Council of Anti-Phishing Japan
To promote understanding of phishing among general consumers from the viewpoint of promoting electronic transactions and ensuring information security, the Council of Anti-Phishing Japan (1) collects the latest information on anti-phishing measures from overseas, (2) analyzes phishing trends and examines measures to counter them, and (3) provides information to raise awareness of phishing.
http://www.antiphishing.jp/

About the Japan Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center
To ensure the smooth operation of information systems in Japan and to minimize the damage caused by any security incidents, JPCERT/CC (1) conducts investigations to close phishing sites and supports responses to incidents involving malicious use of computers, (2) operates an Internet fixed point observation system, which is used to observe, for example, the propagation of malware, (3) conducts inspections of software vulnerabilities, and (4) provides early warning so as to prevent computer security incidents from occurring.  In addition, it undertakes activities to promote information security measures, and coordinates between organizations in Japan and around the world. Please contact JPCERT/CC in the event you discover a phishing site. http://www.jpcert.or.jp/

*NetSTAR is a registered trademark of NetSTAR, Inc. Other product and company names are the registered trademarks of their respective companies.