OSLO, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Most people don't realise that sending an e-mail is just as risky as sending a postcard written in pencil. Protectoria was launched today, a user-friendly service available to anyone wishing to send confidential information via e-mail without worrying that the information falls into the wrong hands.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080422/301283 )

E-mails containing confidential and sensitive information can be easily stolen and misused. Sensitive information such as personal details, account details, case documents and company secrets, for example, can be targeted by hackers. There are several methods and software programs developed specifically to intercept and analyse e-mails with a view to stealing company information. Trond Lemberg, CEO of Protectoria, says that many businesses use poorly secured or unsecured e-mail solutions that are a direct threat to business operations and the company's reputation.

Protectoria is a user friendly e-mail service that is designed for anyone wishing to send confidential and sensitive information via e-mail.The service does not require any preinstalled software or registration by the recipient or any investment on the part of the sender. Protectoria can be used to send confidential information via e-mail to anyone."

Protectoria - instant protection

With Protectoria, e-mails can be sent securely to anyone with an e-mail address and a cell phone. There are no subscription fees for the service; you only pay for the e-mails you wish to protect. It is free for the recipient. Trond Lemberg explains that the sender is kept informed of the message flow via receipt mechanisms and reports that confirm that correspondence has taken place.

"Two-factor authentication combined with encryption make this solution very secure. In addition, the risk of sending e-mail to the wrong recipient is dramatically reduced.

"The way the service works is that the receiver gets a text message on his or her cell phone with a one-time pin code used to access the e-mail message from Protectoria's secure servers. The service is operated solely by operational staff with security clearance," says Trond Lemberg.

Like a maximum secured courier service

Protectoria can be compared to a maximum secured courier service where all communications are shielded from outsiders and the recipient can only read the message if he or she can be identified. This eliminates the risk of internal and external leaks. Another advantage is that the users are not locked into security solutions that require investments and installations by both parties before secure communication can take place.

The need for secure e-mails

Research carried out by Synovate for Protectoria in December 2007 shows that Norwegian companies send confidential information via e-mails. What is perhaps not surprising but definitely alarming, is that only half the people surveyed think it is not safe to send this type of information via e-mail. 36% answered that they send confidential information via e-mail. A total of 34% do it on a daily basis, while only 9% say they use technology to encrypt confidential information or password protection.

"The research clearly shows a lack of knowledge about the risk of sending confidential information via e-mail. Even password protected documents that are sent in regular e-mails are unacceptable from a security point of view. Having said that, until now there have been few good and easily accessible solutions to protect this type of information. Following the launch of Protectoria, there can no longer be any excuse for sending unsecured confidential information via e-mail," says Trond Lemberg.

Cooperation agreement with Software Innovation

Software Innovation, one of Scandinavia leading firms in the field of business information management and sharing, has signed a cooperation agreement with Protectoria for the distribution of this service to customers in Scandinavia. Cecilie Vanem, sales and marketing director at Software Innovation, explained that the company offers services in the area of managing information, handling documents and interaction and that collaboration with Protectoria will help to strengthen their service and product portfolio.

"The requirements for handling e-mails and electronic information will be stricter as a result of new regulations being introduced in the summer of 2008. Yet few businesses understand the consequences of this move. The regulations will supplement existing requirements and the result will be even tighter controls on critical business information. So we are very pleased about the cooperation agreement with Protectoria which means we can now offer our customers the best and most user-friendly solution for secure e-mail correspondence," said Ms. Vanem.

About Protectoria

Protectoria is a new service that helps companies to protect their e-mails and avoid information leaks. The service can be used immediately and is suitable for both small and large companies and organisations that wish to send confidential or sensitive information via e-mail. Protectoria is owned by Message Management AS. For more information about the service visit http://www.protectoria.com.

For more information contact: Trond Lemberg CEO, Protectoria Tel No: +47-41-48-73-10

For more information contact: Trond Lemberg, CEO, Protectoria, Tel No: +47-41-48-73-10, E-mail: trond.lemberg@protectoria.com