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Webroot Enlists Bots To Fight Spyware
InformationWeek ^ | Jan. 11, 2005 | Thomas Claburn

Posted on 01/12/2005 9:43:34 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach

InformationWeek

Webroot Enlists Bots To Fight Spyware

Webroot will use its bots-based system to develop anti-spyware products that can better address new threats.

By

Thomas

Claburn, 

InformationWeek


Jan. 11, 2005


URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=57700343

Anti-spyware company Webroot Software Inc. Monday announced what it claims is the industry's first automated spyware research system. Called Phileas, the system relies on bots--computer programs that perform tasks in lieu of a person--that continually crawl the Web, looking for spyware, adware, and the sites that host such software.

Webroot plans to use the information gathered by Phileas to develop anti-spyware products that can better address new threats.

Like the antivirus industry, anti-spyware companies have traditionally developed signatures to block spyware. These are created by comparing the files on spam-infested machines against those on clean machines.

"That's very labor intensive," explains Richard Stiennon, VP of threat research at Webroot. "The name of the game in the anti-spyware business is to somehow have as close to 100% of all spyware identified and signatures written for it as we can get. And that's an unachievable task because the spyware writers are extremely active. They show up for work in the morning and write new versions of their spyware every day. So you have to find it as soon as it's out in the wild."

Automation, he contends, is the answer. He estimates that one hour of automated research equals 10 work-days of manual research. When first tested in October of last year, the company identified more than 20,000 sites that made spyware available. By February, Webroot plans to have more than 100 bots active, scouring up to 10 sites a second.

Microsoft also has included a measure of automation in its new anti-spyware product, which appeared in beta form last week. Windows AntiSpyware includes a community reporting function called SpyNet that shares information about newly discovered threats to better immunize other members of the network.

Stiennon observes that automation is a necessity, given the proliferation of spyware.

"The spyware industry is only going to grow because it's so tremendously profitable for the spyware writers and distributors," he says. "So we have to try to find it as quickly as we can."


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: computersecurity; spyware

1 posted on 01/12/2005 9:43:35 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: ShadowAce

ping


2 posted on 01/12/2005 9:45:10 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: rdb3; chance33_98; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; Bush2000; PenguinWry; GodGunsandGuts; CyberCowboy777; ...

Spyware security ping!


3 posted on 01/12/2005 9:46:05 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
When first tested in October of last year, the company identified more than 20,000 sites that made spyware available.

We oughta just shut 'em down. If we can't do it legally (they're overseas), then DDOS their sorry butts.

4 posted on 01/12/2005 9:48:12 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Has anyone here ever used Webroot? I use Pest Patrol, and have had good results with it.


5 posted on 01/12/2005 9:50:40 AM PST by Born Conservative (Those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself." Richard Nixon)
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To: b4its2late

Spyware ping


6 posted on 01/12/2005 9:51:07 AM PST by Born Conservative (Those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself." Richard Nixon)
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To: ShadowAce

Hehe if they're in a country we don't have agreements with, we can DOS til the cows come home LOL!


7 posted on 01/12/2005 9:56:33 AM PST by KoRn
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To: ShadowAce

The thought of us doing a DDoS gives me a knot in the gut. sigh

But who else is going to protect us? Things should never have gotten this far.

It's time for total WAR against the cybersewage.


8 posted on 01/12/2005 10:04:20 AM PST by JoJo Gunn (More than two lawyers in any Country constitutes a terrorist organization. ©)
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To: Born Conservative

Thanks.


9 posted on 01/12/2005 10:34:52 AM PST by b4its2late (You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.)
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To: JoJo Gunn
The thought of us doing a DDoS gives me a knot in the gut. sigh But who else is going to protect us? Things should never have gotten this far. It's time for total WAR against the cybersewage.

I agree, and normally I am opposed to looking to the government for help, or making examples of violators-- but this cybervandalism needs to be ground to a halt.

Money is one key-- I read here recently that one spammer was making about $70,000 per month, just running spam lists from his home PC. Obviously, there needs to be serious fines levied, to take away that incentive.

Violators need to be jailed, too, with much public fanfare, and perhaps made to make restitution.

This stuff is not funny anymore- I've lost time and data getting rid of their unsolicited garbage, and that does not even factor in the frustration of having your machine hijacked and hacked up inside.

Enough is enough.

10 posted on 01/12/2005 11:25:47 AM PST by backhoe (-30-)
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To: backhoe
I read here recently that one spammer was making about $70,000 per month, just running spam lists from his home PC. Obviously, there needs to be serious fines levied, to take away that incentive.

Spammers are selling their services aren't they?

Why don't they go after the Co.s or people that enlist the spammers?

11 posted on 01/12/2005 3:28:46 PM PST by Vinnie
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To: Vinnie
Why don't they go after the Co.s or people that enlist the spammers?

I can't see why not- RICO, if nothing else, but I suspect other laws would also apply.

12 posted on 01/12/2005 3:57:13 PM PST by backhoe (-30-)
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To: backhoe

I'd like to see examples made out of them because, except for politicans and the IRS and Muslim fanatics, I can't think of any kind of criminal who can instantly violate the lives of so many millions at once.

Then again, we ought to go after the real dangers in our midst, our neighbors, the horrific idiots who buy from spammers, the same kind of brain dead who gave life and sit transfixed to the countless Cubic Zirconia channels.

I swear, I'd just soon shoot someone as look at them if I knew they bought something from a spammer.


13 posted on 01/12/2005 5:03:11 PM PST by JoJo Gunn (More than two lawyers in any Country constitutes a terrorist organization. ©)
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To: JoJo Gunn
I swear, I'd just soon shoot someone as look at them if I knew they bought something from a spammer.

Well, that would certainly cure the habit, but in light of the legal problems that would follow, maybe flogging with a Cat-O-Ninetails would suffice?

Seriously, you are right about it impacting badly on so many different people. The politician who actually does something to reduce and punish spam and malware could write his own ticket, he'd be so popular.

I will mention that the national No-Call list has actually helped us at home. I know many derided it when it was proposed, but we have seen nuisance calls fall from 5-10 a day to only a couple a month.

14 posted on 01/12/2005 5:11:46 PM PST by backhoe (-30-)
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To: backhoe

Oh man, is the phone ever quieter here as well.

But just how many telemarketers went underground with spam?


15 posted on 01/12/2005 5:22:55 PM PST by JoJo Gunn (More than two lawyers in any Country constitutes a terrorist organization. ©)
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