Experts say telecoms should include internet security for free
Telecommunications providers' paid internet security add-ons are growing in popularity, but cybersecurity experts say core protection should come standard, not at extra cost.
Companies like Telia, Elisa and Tele2 sell security services for up to about €4 a month, promising safer browsing as online scams rise.
That demand is growing, but some in the field question whether users should be paying at all.
"In a way it's good these [services} exist," said Digigeenius editor Meelis Väljamäe. "But the real question is whether they should be paid, or simply included in already fairly expensive packages, since it's a necessary service."
Whether or not it's ethical to charge extra for it, he added, is up to the telecoms to decide.
About a quarter of Elisa's internet connections now use its Netivalvur add-on. The company says the service requires constant upgrades as scams evolve.
"We block scam calls in cooperation with other operators," said Elisa telecommunications services director Evelin Tulp.
She added that Netivalvur is different, requiring ongoing real-time development to keep up with organized international cybercrime.
Still, some experts argue the core technology behind such services is neither new nor costly.
"Providers have databases of suspicious URLs and simply block them; that's widely available," said Adrian Venables, cybersecurity program director at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech). "If a customer subscribes, they just switch it on. It would be really easy to make this available to everyone at no extra cost."
Even with paid protection, however, providers stress there are no guarantees.
"No matter how many solutions we develop, the most important thing is still to be careful yourself," Tulp said.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Aili Vahtla
