A rapidly growing number of companies are falling victim to cyber crime - whether it is the hijacking of a website, a virus or worm attack, or electronic fraud committed in online transactions. Many cases go unreported, so it is impossible to put an accurate figure on damages, but according to one report published in 2001 the financial losses attributed to cyber crime grew to double what it was the previous year. And this is conservative, since it does not take into account the sales that would have been made if the vendors’ sites had been up and running. The real financial cost will no doubt increase even further.

But it is not just a problem of financial cost. The real horror of cyber crime is that the victim simultaneously inflicts damage on others. If customer data or information relating to business transactions is stolen or otherwise compromised, this can lead to very serious problems for your customers and the companies that do business with you. And if the blame is put on lax security, then your company could be held responsible and might well be sued for damages. It goes without saying that your company’s reputation will be seriously affected. And if matters are not handled carefully in the aftermath, it may not just be your online business that is affected: the survival of your entire company could be at stake.

How then can one safely cross these digital seas that are so infested with modern-day pirates - cyber criminals, swindlers, and the hackers who release viruses and worms to rob and wreck? The answer is simple: you ensure protection against these threats by building it into your business model from the outset. All you need to do is to enhance the safety of the information system that is your business vessel by equipping it with security.

For this purpose, what is required of security technology is the versatility to provide cover for an entire system. It is thus essential to employ multi-platform technology, like Mitsubishi Electric’s MISTY. What is also necessary is the know-how to avoid creating security holes when actually building information systems. Mitsubishi Electric has much to offer in this field: we can build large-scale systems that are precisely tailored for your business, drawing on multiple technologies ranging from encryption and verification system components to e-commerce applications.

Venturing into the arena of on-line business, where threats are steadily growing, is not such a frightening notion - as long as you have access to the latest security technologies and system engineers who can build those into your business. If you can provide your customers with a truly secure business environment, that itself will be an advantage, differentiating your on-line service. The days are gone when reckless entrepreneurs would set sail on the open seas in a sink-or-swim attempt to find their fortune. From now on, mainstream on-line businesses will be those that cruise in confidence, thanks to proper security.