Microsoft security initiative in Germany moves forward

An online security program spearheaded by Microsoft's German subsidiary could serve as a model for similar programs in other European and North American markets, a company spokesman said in an interview at the Systems exhibition and conference in Munich this week.

The German program, called Sicher im Netz, or Safe in the Net, was launched earlier this year by Microsoft Deutschland in collaboration with several organizations including eBay, SAP, VeriSign, and the Internet division of Deutsche Telekom. It has been endorsed by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Employment.

Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect, attended the kick-off event in January.

The program targets three primary groups: small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), consumers and young children. It consists largely of providing information to make users aware of e-mail viruses, Trojan horses and other malicious software programs distributed over the Internet, according to Walter Gansser, a Microsoft Deutschland director.

"For small businesses, we provide information tailored to managing directors, IT staff and employees," Gansser said in a presentation.

The group is distributing a CD at Systems that allows users of Windows-based computers to locate and remove malware and also to reboot infected machines. In November, several German-language PC magazines will distribute 4 million copies of the CD, according to Microsoft spokesman Thomas Baumgärtner.

All information is presented in a quick, easy-to-read and "playful" style, according to Baumgärtner. "We've used this approach even for the information we're providing to SMBs," he said.

The Sicher im Netz program has seven components, of which six are now complete: a security check; support for software developers and students; an IT security information package with checklists and examples of good IT security practices; an online test certificate; a portal (http://www.internauten.de) for young people between the ages of 8 and 13; information on how to buy and sell securely on the Internet; and the yet-to-be completed security barometer.

"The security barometer is sort of like a weather barometer; it warns you of current viruses, Trojans and other malware that could penetrate systems if users aren't properly informed," Baumgärtner said. "We hope to have this completed shortly."

The online test certificate is aimed at individuals and small ISVs (independent software vendors) that want to offer security services, according to Baumgärtner. Applicants can obtain information and complete an exam online to become a security assessor "We had more than 800 people certify themselves within the first three weeks," he said.

The security initiative has also included a "security truck," which visited 18 cities over the past few weeks and attracted about 15,000 people. Of those, more than 600 came with their computers, of which 95 percent were desktops and 5 percent notebooks, according to Baumgärtner. Experts in the truck found 1,371 viruses, 307 Trojans and 1,585 spyware bugs.

"We had one 80-year old woman come with an infected notebook," the spokesman said. "But what really surprised us is that so many people were willing to lug their desktops to the truck."

The program is scheduled to run in Germany through May 2006, but the 13 companies and organizations participating are discussing an extension. "It's primarily a money issue," Baumgärtner said.

Microsoft subsidiaries in several other countries, including France, the U.K. and the U.S., are looking at the German initiative, according to Baumgärtner. "We have put together a program that can be fairly easily transferred to other markets," he said.

Asked why the program started in Germany, Baumgärtner said the country is "very critical of technology" and is one of only a few that have a government agency that studies the impact of new technologies on business and society.

Additional information about the security initiative is available at: http://www.sicher-im-netz.de.

The Systems event runs through Friday.