• Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:30 AM

The fake Javelin release reported to the FBI by Business Wire comes just days after another hoax release involving cereal maker General Mills was published by PR Newswire. Both releases were retracted by the services before regular U.S. trading began in both stocks.

Business Wire said it will no longer accept client releases submitted via e-mail. The elimination of e-mail was scheduled to be part of a planned security upgrade this August, Business Wire said, adding that the Javelin incident advanced the timetable for the change. Business Wire's statement said all press releases must now be submitted via BW Connect, its proprietary electronic system that has been in operation since 1998 without breaches.

Michele Clarke, managing director of Brainerd Communicators, said fake press releases aren't new in the public relations game, and she hasn't noticed an increase in their frequency. "Information has been electronic for a long time, and digital information can be altered, which increases the need for security and verification," said Clarke, who is not directly connected with either Business Wire or PR Newswire. "The rise of digital communications has brought an increased need for security and verification, and that is happening."

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