Neutralizing the Spyware Threat

The R3000 Enterprise Filter: Neutralizing the Spyware Threat 8e6 WHITE PAPER
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8e6 3000 | Enterprise Filter

Neutralizing the Spyware Threat By The Forsite Group Introduction Add spyware to the list of urgent security concerns. With resources already stretched thin in fighting viruses, stopping spam, and complying with data-protection requirements laid out in federal regulations like Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), companies Spyware is an now also have to defend against a threat that strikes silently and does executable program much of its damage before it's even detected. with a single Spyware is an executable program with a single objective: to secretly objective: to secretly monitor a computer and surreptitiously report information on activity to monitor a computer anyone willing to pay for it. While it can serve a legitimate purpose for companies legally tracking user behavior, it's also an ideal tool for and surreptitiously corrupting or stealing the sensitive business data residing on corporate report information on PCs and systems. What's more, spyware can seriously degrade activity to anyone performance, reduce employee productivity, and impose extensive administrative expense. And spyware is virtually everywhere: Industry willing to pay for it. experts estimate that 90 percent of all employee computers harbor at least 30 spyware programs apiece. Whether it implants itself upon a visit to an unauthorized Web site or arrives as part of a worm's payload, spyware immediately sets out to perform its surreptitious functions. Stopping unauthorized programs at their source and staying abreast of potential infections are critical in keeping spyware from doing harm. 8e6 Technologies helps on both fronts. Its R3000 Enterprise Filter network appliance is a flexible, highly scalable approach to identifying known spyware sites and blocking installation of suspicious programs. Thanks to 8e6's continuously updated library of spyware sites, it can be dynamically configured to recognize the latest threats. Simple setup allows rapid rollout as part of a comprehensive spyware defense, while an open-source OS rounds out the R3000 feature set. Additionally, 8e6's Enterprise Reporter appliance helps in developing the detailed reports on user activity that can aid in detecting spyware's presence. Together, 8e6's products can be deployed as an integral part of a company's overall approach to defending against spyware.
©2005 8e6 Technologies 1 The R3000 Enterprise Filter: Neutralizing the Spyware Threat 8e6 WHITE PAPER
The Spyware Dossier Spyware is not a new technology, and not all of it is malicious. On one end of the spectrum are programs that come bundled as part of a legitimate software package and that customers consent to run when they sign an end-user license agreement (EULA). Further, some of it is actually intended to help users: Software that tracks online activity, for example, is necessary in implementing the personalization features that so many users want. It's a relatively On the other end of the spectrum is spyware that's clearly malicious. There is no other way to characterize programs that snoop files and simple and systems for sensitive data. Some track keystrokes, so that credit card inexpensive and other personal information can be stolen. Others can reconfigure technology that browsers, install additional spyware, and even activate Webcams. Spyware is also living up to its name as a real-world espionage tool: when used by North Korea has been identified as one of the nations using it to gather legitimate companies data on potential adversaries, sometimes even selling that information to legally track to international criminals who use it to launch distributed DoS attacks. customer behavior, But it's the gray area in the middle that's causing problems for both the generates industry and the government in devising a comprehensive approach for considerable dealing with spyware. At what point does surreptitious monitoring turn revenue. The trouble into breach of privacy? There's no disagreement over the threat posed by viruses, but opinion isn't nearly as united on spyware (some, for is that those same example, consider cookies an insidious form of spyware, while others attributes appeal ... [download for more]