Spyware found on most PCs in the enterprise, report says

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: MICHAEL OSTERMAN ON MESSAGING
10/04/05
Today's focus: Spyware found on most PCs in the enterprise,
report says

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* The growing problem with spyware
* Links related to Messaging
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: Spyware found on most PCs in the enterprise,
report says

By Michael Osterman

Webroot's quarterly report on spyware is a very interesting read
and is available as a free download from the company's Web site
<http://www.webroot.com/>. For messaging managers, network
administrators and others charged with managing desktop systems
and/or servers, the report's findings should raise some red
flags. Here are just a few highlights from the most recent
report for the second quarter of 2005:

* Using Webroot's Enterprise SpyAudit, the company found that
more than 80% of PCs in the enterprise are infected with spyware
and there is an average of 27 pieces of spyware per infected PC.
The latter figure represents an increase of 19% from the first
quarter of 2005.

* Seven percent of this spyware is considered to be "malicious",
or intended to capture sensitive information like screen shots,
keystrokes, e-mail and other information that could be
tremendously damaging to an organization if it were divulged to
unauthorized parties.

* Consumer PCs also are heavily infected with spyware, with more
than 80% of these systems infected. The typical PC analyzed in
Webroot's Consumer SpyAudit had 25.4 pieces of spyware, up
slightly from 25.1 in the first quarter of 2005.

The growing concern about spyware is reflected in a survey we
have just completed. In that survey, 54% of people who are
decision-makers and/or influencers about the day-to-day
management of their organizations' messaging systems view
spyware as a serious or very serious problem.

Admittedly, most spyware is not all that serious at this point.
More than 90% of spyware consists of cookies and other
relatively innocuous bits of tracking software that won't
represent a significant breach of security for most
organizations. However, the growing penetration of malicious
spyware can and does represent a major threat to network
security and could lead to significant loss of data and the
variety of legal, regulatory and reputation consequences that
entails. Organizations of all sizes, particularly those in which
employees work from home, need to deploy solutions to combat
this growing problem.

I'd like to hear about your views on spyware, particularly what
things you're doing to address the problem - please drop me a
line <mailto:michael@ostermanresearch.com>.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. How to solve Windows system crashes in minutes
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg7719>
2. Nortel faces uphill battle
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg8078>
3. Cisco pushes new security software
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg8079>
4. Verizon CTO lays out next-gen network plans
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg8080>
5. Next-gen net seen at a crossroads
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg8081>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Michael Osterman

Michael D. Osterman is the principal of Osterman Research
<http://www.ostermanresearch.com/>, a market research firm that
helps organizations understand the markets for messaging,
directory and related products and services. He can be reached
by clicking here <mailto:michael@ostermanresearch.com>
_______________________________________________________________
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FEATURED READER RESOURCE

IT PROS SHARE THEIR TALES OF MAKING ITIL WORK

Running an enterprise network is challenging. IT organizational
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Implementing best practices frameworks such as Information
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introduce their own set of challenges. Click here for more:

<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/092205-itil.html>
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