Anti spyware product launched as industry fights back
23 January 2004
This week sees Network Associates join the battle against spyware, with the release of McAfee AntiSpyware.
Creator of the McAfee antivirus software, the company's new product is designed to automatically and proactively protect consumers against programs that allow pop up ads and spyware.
Spyware, is a broad term used to describe unwanted programs that take up residence on a computers hard drive which typically occur when users download freeware or shareware off the net. These programs can also be passed through emails and instant messaging or music sharing software.
According to CNET News, the users online activities can then be recorded and get reported to the web advertisers which can then target their pop ups, moreover identity thieves can use the technology to steal personal information.
According to a recent report by the National Cyber Security Alliance, 91 per cent of the users participating in the study had spyware on their computers and almost all of them didn't know how it was installed.
Security companies and Internet service providers have already started to take action to tackle the problem, with products such as hard drive cleaners and personal firewalls.
Some companies are offering the technology for free but the McAfee software license costs $39.95 (approximately £22).
However Network Associates argue it is charging for its service because it offers a lot more than others.
Bryson Gordon, senior product manager for McAfee's security consumer division explained to CNET News how other technology involves users having to scan their own computers and choose to delete or keep the infected files that have been highlighted.
'We've automated the process so that it's proactive. The moment a piece of spyware tries to write anything on the hard drive or sends a message back to a central location, we catch it and block it' Mr Gordon added.
The McAfee technology also removes extra files that are usually downloaded along with the spyware files which can hinder the computers overall performance.
Apply for your free web assessment - get a complete health check and optimisation action plan from Weboptimiser, the experts.
Related news
|
|
Leading brand search engine marketing since 1996
Founded in 1996 as an SEO company, Weboptimiser is today one of the Internet marketing sector's best-known and most respected search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) search engine marketing companies.
With a unique portfolio of brand-friendly services, including usability, contextual advertising and web analytics, a pioneering methodology that covers all 4 stages of interaction between a web site and its visitors, we make our clients sites faster, smarter, busier and more profitable.
