Classified: VIACK takes data security to the highest level.

VIACK Corporation, the authority on private, online business meetings and communications over the Internet, has announced VIA3 for Government, the only service that enables agencies or companies to selectively pre-determine classification of--and access to--documents. VIA3 for Government creates a security hierarchy for documents and performs the function of a gatekeeper, based on an employee's need--and right--to know information. By denying employees without proper clearance the ability to access sensitive information, organizations can dramatically decrease the likelihood that someone purposely or inadvertently releases such information to competitors, the media or others.

According to the "2003 Computer Crime and Security Survey," conducted by the Computer Security Institute and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 80 percent of respondents reported that security breaches were caused by insider abuse of network access, causing millions in financial loss. However, today's security solutions inside the firewall only enable tracking of who has accessed various documents, and almost never whether that person has the need--or the right --to actually see the documents.

"Keeping private data secure is critical for both public and private entities. With its ability to limit who within an organization can access sensitive data, VIA3 for Government was a simple choice as one of the new and emerging technologies that will surely make a dramatic difference in 2004," said Chris Shipley, executive producer, DEMO 2004, the conference recognized as the premier event that reveals the products and services poised to have the greatest impact on the technology landscape in the year to come. "VIA3 for Government's security hierarchy could save an organization millions of dollars in damages caused by leaks and other costly breaches that even one dishonest employee could carry out. VIA3 could cut those breaches down completely."

With VIA3 for Government, agencies that have previously relied on manual methods to safeguard our nation's most important documents will now be able to securely store their classified documents electronically, utilizing at a minimum the safeguards developed by the government over the past 60 years. In addition to limiting who has access to documents, VIA3 for Government will actually prevent a document from being downloaded or printed, if its security classification dictates that it must not be forwarded. The system will also log all access to sensitive data and create receipts showing activity. All personnel, all files, and all file cabinets that hold the stored documents will have their own unique set of security attributes.

As an example, Mary in human resources would be assigned level 4 classification as a director. Under that level of classification, she would have access to documents with the same level of classification, provided it was associated with information that affected her daily work activities, such as employee salary information. However, she would not have a 'right to know or need to know' sensitive information about a pending merger, even though it was also classified as a level 4 document. As a result, VIA3 would not grant her access to a document with that subject matter or allow anyone with the 'right to know and need to know' that information to send it to her.

"Too many companies are concerned about attacks from the outside, when it's attacks from the inside that are causing the real problems--the disgruntled employee posting salary information, others leaking information about upcoming events or new products, the list goes on," said Ronald I. Koenig, president and CEO of VIACK Corporation. "We're looking forward to helping the government--and eventually other professional services organizations that value security and privacy--limit the number of security breaches coming from within their organizations. Unfortunately, it's more than they think."

In VIA3 for Government, VIACK will use the same high levels of encryption offered in the company's flagship product, VIA3 E-meeting Service. This service delivers live video, telephone quality audio over the computer (voice over IP), joint editing of documents and free instant messaging, all integrated in one package with every component of the meeting--including data, instant messaging, audio and video--fully encrypted from sender to receiver using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) security protocol. Once the proper authorization on a document has been established between individuals, they can use the other collaborative features of VIACK's VIA3 E-meeting Service. For example, they can conduct a meeting--with audio and video--to discuss the document while each person makes their own edits in real time. Once the document owner accepts or rejects the edits, it will then be saved in the secure file cabinet for future reference.

VIA3 for the Government is expected to be generally available by the end of the year.