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IIJ Introduces Sender Authentication to IIJ4U and IIJmio for Retail Customers; Spam with Spoofed Domain Names Blocked as Part of Comprehensive Anti-Spam Measures
[December 07, 2005]

IIJ Introduces Sender Authentication to IIJ4U and IIJmio for Retail Customers; Spam with Spoofed Domain Names Blocked as Part of Comprehensive Anti-Spam Measures


TOKYO --(Business Wire)-- Dec. 7, 2005 -- Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ, NASDAQ:IIJI), one of Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions providers, today announced it will improve email spam filtering by introducing sender authentication on the IIJ4U and IIJmio Internet access services for retail customers starting on December 21, 2005.



Through the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) (*1), a mechanism for preventing falsified sender domain names, the IP address of IIJ's originating e-mail servers will be made public in the company's DNS information, thus guaranteeing the validity of the originating server. This system makes it possible to determine if mail with an IIJ4U/IIJmio e-mail address is actually being sent from an IIJ4U/IIJmio mail server, thus effectively deterring spam using a spoofed IIJ4U/IIJmio domain name.

One reason spammers can send large volumes of e-mail is the ease with which sender information is falsified. Sender authentication is a technology for verifying the originating server of incoming e-mail. It is very effective at defeating spam sent with spoofed domain names, which has been used in phishing and other fraud schemes that have caused increasingly heavy losses in recent years.


IIJ also has plans to expand its anti-spam measures on IIJ4U/IIJmio to include authentication of the originating domain for incoming mail, and blocking high volumes of spam on incoming mail servers.

IIJ will continue to improve its services and give customers the most user-friendly and secure mail environment possible. -0- *T (*1)Sender Policy Framework (SPF): A technology for authenticating the IP address of the originating domain, developed by Meng Wong, founder of Pobox.com in the U.S. This system validates the originating domain of e-mail by retrieving valid outgoing mail server information stored in the DNS entry for the originating domain, and checking for the existence of IP address for the nearest outgoing mail servers. *T

About IIJ

Founded in 1992, Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ, NASDAQ:IIJI) is one of Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions providers. The company has built one of the largest Internet backbone networks in Japan, and between Japan and the United States. IIJ and its group of companies provide total network solutions that mainly cater to high-end corporate customers. The company's services include high-quality systems integration and security services, Internet access, hosting/housing, and content design.

The statements within this release contain forward-looking statements about our future plans that involve risk and uncertainty. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents furnished by Internet Initiative Japan Inc. with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports on Forms 20-F and 6-K, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

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