OREANDA-NEWS. The threat from the Internet continues to grow: Some 200,000 new versions of viruses, trojans and worms now appear every day. As such, preventive cyber security grows more and more important and transparency over the current risk situation is crucial. Deutsche Telekom is therefore launching the online portal www.sicherheitstacho.eu, which will be unveiled to the public for the first time at CeBIT in Hanover.

"New cyber attacks on companies and institutions are found every day. Deutsche Telekom alone records up to 450,000 attacks per day on its honeypot systems and the number is rising. We need greater transparency about the threat situation. With its security radar, Deutsche Telekom is helping to achieve this," said Thomas Kremer, Board Member responsible for Data Privacy, Legal Affairs and Compliance.

The website has a digital map of the world which shows the origin of cyber attacks recorded around the clock by more than 90 sensors. A real-time ticker reports which targets they are setting their sights on. In addition, statistics show the current most common forms of attack and the countries in which the most active attack servers are located. However, their location is not necessarily also the country of origin of the attackers. "Most attacks are automated," explained Kremer. "Figuratively speaking, the attackers shoot into the network with a shotgun to work out where the weaknesses in the systems are."

The new Deutsche Telekom portal is freely available to security experts and interested parties. The company shares its findings with authorities and manufacturers of protection software. Deutsche Telekom uses the information itself to keep the protection of its own systems up to date and to warn customers when specific threats arise. For example, Deutsche Telekom sends out several tens of thousands of information letters each month to customers, whose lines are misused to send out SPAM, with the aim of limiting the dissemination of malware such as viruses, worms and trojans.

Deutsche Telekom developed the online situation overview of global security attacks as part of a partnership with the alliance for cyber security. The joint initiative of the industry association BITKOM and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) brings together companies and public organizations to provide mutual support in the fight against digital attacks. Deutsche Telekom will continue to expand on the solution and, together with partner companies, increase the number of sensors to further improve intelligence of the situation.

Deutsche Telekom has more than 90 sensors in use around the world as decoy systems. These so-called honeypots feign weaknesses to provoke attacks and as such act as early warning systems. For example, they simulate smartphones with gaps in security. "Our honeypot systems show that once attackers have identified weaknesses, they exploit them immediately," said Kremer. "If, for example, a provider announces an update for its operating system, attackers launch themselves at the old system to find the gap that the update is intended to close." Kremer added, "For this reason, customers should install updates immediately - this successfully prevents 90 percent of attacks." Apart from up-to-date virus protection, that is the most important security precaution for all IT users."

Experience our products and services live at CeBIT from March 5-9 at the Deutsche Telekom stand C26 in hall 4. Deutsche Telekom's entire presence at the trade fair is carbon-neutral. All CO2 emissions generated in setting up and operating the stand are fully offset by carbon-reduction projects abroad.