This network-based security solution blocks viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware before they enter the physical machine, protecting both the A1 network and your computer. This offers A1 users double protection on the web while their network provider manages security measures against Internet viruses.

American content-security providers report that about every second website is involved in malicious activities. More than 25,000 new malware variants are created every day. The number of systems infected or under unauthorized control is legion. There are more and more Trojans around that have been programmed just to steal your money. While at first the creation of malware was driven by mere curiosity, boredom, or desire for recognition, an efficiently working cyber crime community has meanwhile developed.

Today, spam accounts for 90% of the worldwide e-mail traffic and has started proliferating into other areas including blogs, panels, and cracked websites. In 2009, cyber crime reached a new level. And early in 2011, when we will look back to the current year, our conclusions will much be the same—or even worse. This is definitely relevant for network-based internet access.

The Internet-security solution used by A1 offers all benefits of a centrally managed proxy-based approach combined with a distributed security component for your desktop. This setup implements more security than any dedicated software suite could ever offer. Client protection is fast, lean, and the perfect supplement to the Microsoft Windows firewall and other popular personal firewalls. The resource-friendly online guard monitors read and write accesses, offering a high level of protection against viruses, Trojan horses, adware, and spyware from Outlook/Outlook Express/Windows Mail messages or other sources. In addition, it efficiently protects your systems from ever-increasing drive-by infections. 

To achieve this level of innovation, mobilkom austria AG cooperated with IKARUS Security Software, an Austrian pioneer in antivirus and content-security technologies. “In A1, we found a partner with whom we could implement a paradigm shift,” says Josef Pichlmayr, managing director at IKARUS. “For the first time ever, users don’t have to take care of security themselves—their network provider will handle everything for them.”

When it comes to malware-detection rates, A1 Internet Security does an excellent job compared to traditional products.

Another contributor to the project was the Faculty of Information Technology and Information Systems at Graz University. Head of faculty Prof Wolf Rauch says: “When using information and communication systems, security is more and more becoming a key issue. Proactive security management is therefore a priority investment for the future.”

The centrally managed solution on the A1 network detects all known viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware. It continuously adapts to the ever-changing threat environment. Whenever a user visits a website distributing viruses, A1 displays a warning message to him or her, and there will be no direct contact with any infected file. In addition, there is a client software scanning the e-mail, the hard disk, and other media and enabling the Windows OS firewall. Automatic updates are freely available and account for current developments in the spheres of viruses, spyware, and Trojan horses. The software is available for download at A1.net. It is also included on CDs available at the A1 shops or accompanying HSDPA data cards, USB modems, and memory sticks.

Once again, the A1 Internet Security solution by mobilkom austria won a prize—the Security Award 2009. mobilkom austria is the world’s first cell-phone service provider to integrate a comprehensive security solution right on the network. Head of marketing at mobilkom austria AG and CEO of Telekom Austria TA AG Dr Hannes Ametsreiter confirms the uniqueness of the network-based A1 Internet Security solution: “We were the first provider ever to implement a complete security package on the network level: A1 Internet Security. On average, we have already defeated 2.5 attacks per user.”