AhnLab enters US markets with online gaming security solution

Korean anti-virus and content security software provider, AhnLab, has announced its first moves into the North American market, with the introduction of its HackShield software for online game security.

Following a recent partnership with US online game distributor K2 Network, AhnLab's HackShield technology will be integrated into Knight Online, with plans to utilise the online security system in a further two MMORPGs due to be distributed throughout North America.

K2 Network currently maintains in excess of 20,000 concurrent subscribers, and provides a number of Internet service providers and game portals with online games and related content. The company will be acting as a representative on behalf of AhnLab, targeting ISPs and game portals in an effort to increase the North American and Canadian integration of HackShield online game security.

AhnLab CEO, Charles Kim, commented: "The entry of HackShield into the North American market is a necessary roadmap for opening a foreign market, in order to become a global top 10 security company. This contract will strengthen the status of AhnLab as the world's leading online game security company and help other security products to be shipped more easily to the United States."

The HackShield technology for online games is a specifically designed tool set that detects and blocks hacking tools, protects from debugging and game analysis programs, prevent memory hacking and offers network packet encryption, data file and execution file encryption.

"As gamers spending time in this space has gone up, hackers have become more aggressive," said Kim. "The problem is that developers don't know whether or not their in-house approach to long-term online security will be effective. That's where HackShield comes in - it is the airtight alternative to throwing crucial development resources at the hacker problem."

AhnLab is currently in negotiations with a number of US online game distributors, and has provided its HackShield technology solution to over 20 companies in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, and the United States.