TippingPoint Takes On Spyware

The intrusion-prevention solution vendor is expected to deliver the new capabilities immediately for free to existing customers through its Digital Vaccine remote update service, which is available as an add-on for UnityOne.

Dave Endler, director of the Digital Vaccine service, said that with the new technology, UnityOne devices will be able to stop a variety of forms of malware, including adware, keystroke loggers and more. Endler added that with a service like Digital Vaccine, which constantly increases its database of known threats, customers can be protected from all of the latest problems.

"Some of these spyware applications have many variants," he said. "It's important to be able to not only offer spyware protection, but the ability to protect against this stuff over time."

According to Endler, the Digital Vaccine service will update all customer devices whenever updates are available. He estimated that new protections would come out once or twice a month, depending on the threats.

In addition to blocking the installation of spyware on new computers, the ippingPoint filters prevent previously infected computers from spreading an infection elsewhere in a network. They also prevent spyware servers from updating the desktop agents with new functionalities and block the download of ads.

"We block it all," he said. "This is designed to be an all-inclusive approach."

Austin, Texas-based TippingPoint is not the first perimeter security vendor to attack spyware. Earlier this month, San Francisco-based Check Point Software Technologies unveiled similar antispyware capabilities for its VPN-1 device.

In recent weeks, vendors such as McAfee and Computer Associates International also have launched antispyware products, although these products appeared to be geared more toward the consumer and SMB markets.

Last week TippingPoint reported revenue of $9.7 million for the third quarter ended Oct. 31, an increase of 44 percent from $6.7 million in the previous quarter of this year. The company reported a loss of $1.8 million for the quarter.