Press Release
CoreStreet Releases Free Version of Spoofstick, a Simple Solution to Combat Phishing
Technology Removes the Primary Weapon Criminals Use to Spoof Web Sites
Cambridge, Mass. (May 3, 2004)
CoreStreet, a leading provider of validation solutions for identity management and access control, today announced the release of SpoofStick, a browser extension that plainly shows the main Web site being visited. This product will help combat the growing problem of “phishing”—when people are duped into giving out personal information by being led to a Web site that looks like a corporate site, but is, in fact, a fake. With SpoofStick, users will plainly see whether the site is real or fake. A free version of SpoofStick is available for download at www.corestreet.com/spoofstick.
Phishing is a growing problem in the United States , affecting customers of some of the largest and most respected brands, including EarthLink, AOL, Citibank and PayPal. Scam artists often send emails to customers saying there will be dire consequences if sensitive personal information is not updated, which often prompts users to follow a link to a site that looks identical to a legitimate site and then give out their information. By the time the user realizes it is a fraud, the damage is done.
SpoofStick clearly displays the high-level domain of the site being visited, giving users the information they need to avoid being fooled. While a site may look like one created by Citibank, if SpoofStick does not say “You’re on Citibank.com” then it’s not a real Citibank site.
“I love SpoofStick,” said Carol Baraoudi, CEO of Baroudi Bloor International and author of the Internet for Dummies. “E-mail fraud is on the rise—innocent people are being duped every day— it makes me crazy. SpoofStick lets you see just where you're being taken - in every sense of the word. I want the world to be using SpoofStick. I want everybody using SpoofStick today!”
This is a simple solution to a complex problem,” said CoreStreet President . “Most of the problem occurs because people are given a URL that’s too long or complex or mislabeled, and they can’t tell where it’s from. SpoofStick shows you exactly the site you’re on, so you won’t be fooled into thinking it’s some other site. SpoofStick puts the power to decide whether or not a site is legitimate back into the user’s hands.”
Fits Most Browsers
SpoofStick works like a standard toolbar on Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers, has multiple size and display settings, and can show both the top level and secondary level domains of any Web site. The program does not include any spyware or adware, and because it doesn’t send any information to any external entity, SpoofStick is free from some of the performance and privacy questions raised by other approaches. In the future, CoreStreet may incorporate SpoofStick technology into other commercial products.
SpoofStick is currently available as a download at www.corestreet.com/spoofstick.
About CoreStreet
CoreStreet is the only provider of massively scalable validation products for identity management and access control. With CoreStreet’s Real Time Credentials™, organizations can control physical and logical access to buildings, computer networks, applications and devices.
Real Time Credentials solutions can be deployed anywhere in the world - in connected and disconnected environments - without having to set up costly and vulnerable infrastructure. CoreStreet’s products are designed to secure large, mission-critical applications for military, civilian government, financial services and healthcare customers. The company, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., holds 14 patents with more pending. For more information, visit www.corestreet.com.
CoreStreet and Real Time Credentials are trademarks of CoreStreet Ltd.
