BERLIN (07/24/2000) - VeriSign Inc. announced Monday a new cable modem authentication service, which will allow manufacturers to embed a digital certificate into modems' ROM (read-only memory), the company announced Monday.
Providers of products sold over broadband networks, such as pay-for-view TV or downloadable software, will thus be able to authenticate the user making a purchase, the company said.
Broadband services are increasingly being pirated due to the relative ease of cloning cable modems, according to the company. VeriSign claims it is the only company to meet the security requirements set forth in the DOCSIS (Data Over Cable System Interface Specification) standard adopted by the CableLabs consortium, a cable industry association.
VeriSign is one of several companies that have been working to develop standards for electronic signatures, which under the U.S. Federal Digital Signature Act, signed into law several weeks ago, carry the same legal weight as on-paper signatures.
Earlier this year, VeriSign acquired Internet domain names registry Network Solutions Inc. in a US$21 billion stock swap. [See "UPDATE: Verisign to Acquire Network Solutions" March 7.]VeriSign, located in Mountain View, California, specializes in Internet security services for e-commerce and communications over IP (Internet protocol) networks. It can be reached at +1-650-961-7500 or on the Web at http://www.verisign.com/.