WebLOQ launches virtual private community service

Start-up WebLOQ has launched its first offering, a private communication service designed to form virtual business communities whose members can safely send and receive e-mail, documents and other exchanges.

Called WebLOQ, the hosted service is available for individuals who download client software from the company’s Web site that works with a number of e-mail programs, including Outlook and Outlook Express, Thunderbird, MacMail and smart phones, says George Sidman, chairman of the company.

Instead of trying to protect communication at the edges of corporate networks, WebLOQ aims to secure the transit channel itself, says Sidman. This is achieved by setting up a private domain name for each user and giving them a related e-mail address, which acts as an additional address to the ones the user already has and is reserved for private communication with other WebLOQ users. Because this new e-mail address corresponds to a private-domain name, users can choose whatever address they like without being restricted by the .com, .org, .net, etc. suffixes, Sidman says.

“The only change you make to your business process is using a new e-mail address,” he says. However, the e-mail recipient must also be a WebLOQ user in order to receive messages over the private service.

The private service also protects the content of an e-mail, its attachments, and the sender and recipient identities by using double encryption for all content, including the packet header information, he says. The information is encrypted at the sender's desktop and cannot be decrypted until it reaches the recipient desktop, he adds.

WebLOQ e-mail addresses can’t find their way to the intended recipient unless sent from a WebLOQ-enabled PC, says Sidman, which virtually eliminates spoofing, because all WebLOQ customers are registered with validated identities.

By shielding e-mail address information and contents, WebLOQ members also remain safe from spammers and hackers, Sidman says.