Software Information

Spyware Statistics -- Whats New in May 2005?


Although statistics often is blamed for various deadly sins -- from being biased to being inaccurate -- there is nothing left to those who are anyhow connected with IT but to keep up with fresh data. Since spyware is literally ubiquitous, nobody who owns or uses a PC can say that it is none of his business. So general public also has to keep an eye on the news about spyware.

On May 3 Webroot Software, a privately held anti-spyware company based in Boulder, Colorado, released a comprehensive report on spyware, The State of Spyware Report, -- an in-depth review and analysis of the impact of spyware, adware and other types of unwanted software on consumers and enterprises.

The results of Spy Audit survey made by ISP Earthlink and Webroot Software are still fresh in memory of IT security experts. The study lasted for the whole last year; more than 4.6 million system scans were made in 2004. What's new in 2005?

"Industry experts suggest that these types of programs [i.e. spyware in general] may reside on up to 90 percent of all Internet-connected computers" that's the quote from the last year's Spy Audit survey. The first quarter of 2005, alas, confirmed these suggestions.

During Q1, 2005, 88% of scans made with Webroot's SpyAudit software found some form of unwanted program (Trojan, system monitor, cookie or adware) on consumers' computers. The majority (87%) of corporate PCs also had unwanted programs or cookies.

Excluding cookies, which are not such a serious problem as key logger programs or Trojan horses, more than 55% of corporate PCs contained unwanted programs. There were an average of 7.2 non-cookie infections per PC.

System monitors (key logger programs) were found in 7% cent of consumer and enterprise PCs scanned by Webroot's software. In Q4 2004 there were 19%. Trojan horse programs were found on 19% of consumer PCs and 7% of enterprise PCs, the same figures as in Q4 2004.

This year's State of Spyware Report data come from Webroot's SpyAudit results and from online research made by Phileas, Webroot's automated spyware research system. Phileas has identified 4,294 sites (with almost 90,000 pages) containing some form of spyware.

This report for the first quarter of 2005 entirely confirmed the concept that had become as clear as day in 2004 -- from being not much more than a nuisance for PC users, spyware turned into one of the major threats to information security.

Since the Internet has become a part of daily life and business, rapid growth of such kinds of cybercrime as identity theft and phishing endanger the whole society. Some types of spyware, namely software capable of stealing passwords, SSNs and other valuable information (keyloggers and keylogger-containing malware), certainly facilitate these crimes.

The complete report for Q1 2005 is available at http://www.webroot.com/stateofspyware (Registration is required) In the future an updated version of Webroot's State of Spyware Report will be released at the end of each quarter. Keep an eye on the news!

Alexandra Gamanenko currently works at Raytown Corporation, LLC -- an independent software developing company that provides various solutions for information security. The company's R&D department created an innovative technology, which disables the very processes of information capturing -- keylogging, screenshoting, etc. Anti-keylogging software from Raytown Corporation, LLC doesn't detect spy programs or information-stealing Trojans one by one -- they all simply can't work.

Learn more -- visit the company's website http://www.anti-keyloggers.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Business Wire (press release)

Elliott Terminates Tender Offer to Acquire Epicor Software Corporation
MarketWatch - Nov 21, 2008
... LP and Elliott International, LP (collectively, "Elliott" or "we"), a major shareholder of Epicor Software Corporation (the "Company" or "Epicor"), ...
Epicor drops after hedge fund ends hostile bid Forbes
Hedge Fund Elliott Associates Withdraws Offer for Epicor Software Orange County Business Journal
UPDATE 1-Hedge Fund ends offer for Epicor Reuters
RTT News - Barron's Blogs
all 45 news articles


New York Times

The best thing about the 2.2 iPhone software update
CNET News, CA - Nov 21, 2008
When it some to iPhone software updates, I'm all about the basics. Apple could enable the iPhone to cook my dinner every night, but if it added multimedia ...
First Look: Apple's iPhone 2.2 Software Hits The Street (And ... CRN
Lots to like about new iPhone 2.2 software update Ars Technica
Apple releases iPhone Software v2.2 Apple Insider
G4 TV - infoSync World
all 144 news articles


BBC News

Microsoft to offer free security software to attract beginners
eTaiwan News, Taiwan - Nov 21, 2008
19 to stop selling personal computer security software and to use free personal anti-virus software instead. The new software called Morro can support seven ...
Microsoft: New software not Symantec, McAfee rival Reuters
Microsoft Plans to Introduce Free PC Security Software Wall Street Journal
Spamhaus: Microsoft Now 5th Most Spam Friendly ISP Washington Post
NetworkWorld.com - Bizjournals.com
all 304 news articles


Vertical Releases Feature-Rich Software Update for Wave
MarketWatch - 19 hours ago
... today announced the release of the Wave 1.5 software upgrade to it's award winning Wave IP 2500(TM) Business Communications Solution, the industry's ...


Hann’s On Software bouht by Mediware
Bizjournals.com, NC - Nov 21, 2008
Mediware Information Systems Inc. has bought the assets of Hann’s On Software, a pharmacy-management software provider based in Santa Rosa, for $3.5 million ...
Mediware Acquisition Adds 320 Pharmacy Facilities MarketWatch
Mediware Information buys assets of Hann's On Software - Quick Facts RTT News
Mediware Acquisition Adds 320 Pharmacy Facilities International Business Times
all 19 news articles


AVG Sees Uphill Battle for Microsoft in Its Launch of Free Anti ...
MarketWatch - Nov 21, 2008
AVG, which for eight years has offered free anti-virus software to users worldwide, noted the multiple challenges Microsoft faces in supporting a free ...
AVG sees 'uphill battle' for Microsoft Morro TechRadar UK
Microsoft Announces Upcoming Events for the Financial Community NewsBlaze
Microsoft Announces Upcoming Events for the Financial Community MarketWatch
all 30 news articles


Microsoft’s Mike Neil Keynotes at SYS-CON's 4th International ...
SYS-CON Media, NJ - 18 hours ago
... Black Duck Software, Blackbaud, Blade Network Technologies, Blue Coat, Blue Lane, BlueArc, BlueNote Networks, BluePheonix Solutions, BMC Software, ...
Teaching Everyone to Speak Big Blue New York Times
IBM To Acquire Virtualization Specialist Transitive InformationWeek
IBM To Buy Virtualization-Software Company Transitive NewsFactor Network
eWeek - SearchDataCenter.com
all 95 news articles


Frankly speaking, speech software better but still not great
Seattle Times, United States - 11 hours ago
Getting a computer to turn your speech into words on the screen requires buying expensive, resource-intensive software and mastering a sometimes confusing ...


Authoria Appoints New President and CEO
MarketWatch - Nov 21, 2008
Prior to joining Authoria, Mr. McDevitt was most recently Chief Operating Officer of CDC Software, a $360 million division of CDC Corporation and a global ...


Microsoft purges phony security software from 1 million PCs
Computerworld, MA - 22 hours ago
Windows users have been plagued with a flood of worthless security software in recent months as criminals have discovered that they're money-makers. ...

Software - Google News

home | site map
© 2006