Released on = February 17, 2006, 5:10 am

Press Release Author = Comodo Group Inc

Industry = Computers

Press Release Summary = Latest cases expose vulnerability of low assurance, Non
business verified SSL certificates

Press Release Body = Jersey City, NJ (February 16, 2006) - Comodo Inc., a global
leader in Identity and Trust Assurance (ITA) Management solutions, announced today a
new initiative to help consumers re-establish trust in online interactions which has
been eroded through the issuance of low assurance SSL certificates. Comodo\'s new
technology called SVT (See. Verify. Trust.) is being incorporated into its
VerificationEngine (VE), a free downloaded reader that gives consumers the ability
to verify Web content with a simple mouse roll over. Consumers can use VE today to
authenticate the site logos of many financial and company sites.

Today, phishing, pharming and online fraud are growing as fast as online sales,
which topped $136 billion in 2004 according to Forrester. Particularly hard hit are
smaller financial institutions like banks and credit unions as they are the new
\"soft target\" or favorite of fraudsters as recently reported by The Washington Post,
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/02/the_new_face_of_phishing_1.html

This type of threat is part of a growing vulnerability directly related to the flood
of low assurance SSL certificates that recently entered the market. These low
assurance certificates do not validate the legitimacy of the business entity, but
rather these low assurance providers rely on automated validation processes which
only check to be sure the applicant has control over the domain but does nothing to
establish the legitimacy of the business. As a result, fraudsters have a new, easy
channel to procure the important gold padlock trust symbol to provide a veneer of
legitimacy to their site. These low assurance SSL certificates are damaging to the
Internet Trust Model because consumers have no effective means to distinguish
between a legitimate and fraudulent business.

\"Comodo SVT is a revolutionary approach to authenticating Web content. With SVT
technology deployed, the credit union discussed in the Washington Post article could
have helped their customers mitigate the threat of this phishing attack,\" said Melih
Abdulhayoglu, President and CEO of Comodo. \"Consumers can now avoid most phishing
and pharming attacks with a new level of free downloadable security. By making this
accessible to all consumers, we believe that Web content verification will become a
trusted and standard part of a consumer\'s online process. This will go a long way to
reestablishing trust so consumers can feel more confident when doing business
online.\"

High Assurance SSL certificates, like those issued by Comodo, validate the business
legitimacy of the Website through established PKI (Public Key Infrastructure)
security processes. These types of certificates are issued by Certification
Authorities who adhere to strict standards to authenticate the validity of the
business behind the Website. With this type of business legitimacy vetting process,
any phisher attempting to obtain an SSL certificate (and the trusted padlock icon)
would be stopped.

Comodo\'s SVT technology provides consumers with an effective, \"spoof-proof\" means to
establish trust, authenticate identities and ensure a trusted transaction. The
downloadable Verification Engine (www.vengine.com) distinguishes between \"good\" high
assurances and \"bad\" low assurance padlocks. This level of authentication occurs
automatically when a consumer goes to a secured or \"https\" session from an unsecured
Web page by displaying indicators.

Secondly, during the browsing and transaction processes, consumers can verify
specific Web content to verify site identity and authenticity. To authenticate
content, consumers simply roll their mouse over the content they want to
authenticate and they will see a highly visible \"green is good to go\" border on
verified content - virtually eliminating phishing and pharming trust threats.
Importantly, since the verification process takes place outside the browser, it
protects consumers from mimic sites and attacks.
About Comodo

Comodo is a leading global provider of Identity and Trust Assurance services on the
Internet, with over 200,000 customers worldwide. Headquartered in Jersey City, NJ
with global offices in the UK, Ukraine, Norway and India, the company offers
businesses and consumers the intelligent security, authentication and assurance
services necessary to ensure trust in online transactions.

As a leading Certification Authority, and in combination with the Digital Trust Lab
(DTL), Comodo helps enterprises address digital ecommerce and infrastructure needs
with reliable, third generation solutions that improve customer relationships,
enhance customer trust and create efficiencies across digital ecommerce operations.
Comodo\'s solutions include integrated Web hosting management solutions,
infrastructure services, digital e-commerce services, digital certification,
identity assurance, customer privacy and vulnerability management solutions. For
additional information on Comodo - Creating Trust OnlineT - please visit:
www.comodogroup.com.

Web Site = http://www.comodogroup.com

Contact Details = Address: 525, Washington Blvd., Jersey City
United States

Phone Number: +1 888 266 6361
Email: media-relations@comodogroup.com