Webroot Shines Spotlight On Blended Attacks

One of the more insidious current trends in security involves attackers using a combination of viruses, spyware and other malware, said Bryan Gale, enterprise product manager at Webroot, Boulder, Colo. For example, a blended threat could consist of a phishing e-mail that links to a Web site that does a drive-by download of a Trojan or rootkit onto a user's PC, Gale said. These attacks could enable an attacker to remotely gain control over a PC for malicious or illegal purposes.

Spy Sweeper Enterprise 3.0 addresses these emerging threats with a variety of enhanced security features. In addition to blocking ActiveX controls and browser help objects, version 3.0 features a Spy Communication Shield that blocks access to and from Web sites that are known to host and distribute spyware, Gale said. The software can also protect PCs by closely watching the boot process for the telltale signs associated with rootkits, he added.

The upgraded Spy Sweeper solves the problem of spyware-infected machines attempting to send information back to remote servers and consuming network bandwidth, said Adam Beggs, senior security engineer at Dirsec, a solution provider in Centennial, Colo. "We have a problem with machines phoning home and eating our bandwidth, and Spy Sweeper does a good job of eradicating [spyware and] browser help objects," Beggs said, adding that the ability to detect rootkits also is a key selling point.

Spy Sweeper Enterprise 3.0 is available now and priced starting between $12 and $15 per seat.