MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – VeriSign Inc., a longtime major provider of Internet infrastructure, has launched a five-piece anti-phishing security offering. Fraudsters use phishing attacks, typically e-mails, to attempt to fool consumers into giving account numbers and the like through real-looking Web sites. Estimates are that up to 5% of users who receive them fall victim to the scams, costing consumers, financial institutions and e-commerce sites billions of dollars a year. VeriSign (www.verisign.com) calls its anti-phishing solution, simply enough, the VeriSign Anti-Phishing Solution. The company says it uses a number of services already in place, packaged in a comprehensive plan to help thwart phish attacks. The five elements are prevention consulting, educational and assessment services; detection using several outside services that monitor such things as domain names and Web crawlers; response services that include working with ISPs and other hosting organizations to quickly shut down phishing sites; forensics that include VeriSign;s analysis services to determine the extent of damage form phishing attacks and the quality of the response; and reporting that includes incident validation and investigative progress and trend reporting. “Enterprises, including financial institutions, e-tailers and online auctioneers, have invested millions of dollars in their e-commerce presence, which serves as a key means to generate revenue and interaction with their customers,” said Judy Lin, executive vice president, VeriSign Security Services. “However, the rise in phishing attacks targeted at their customers can damage their brand and reputation. VeriSign’s Anti-Phishing Solution allows enterprises to preserve customer trust and loyalty by providing a comprehensive, proven solution to prevent and mitigate phishing attacks.” -