• What is Spyware?

• What are the types of Spyware?

• What is Spy Sweeper?

• How is Spy Sweeper better than other systems?

• How is Anti-Spyware different from Anti-Virus?

• How does Spy Sweeper keep up with Spyware?

• I have an existing Anti-Spyware system. How does Spy Sweeper compare?

• Does Spy Sweeper also protect against Viruses?

•  How does Sophos stack up against the competition?

• How does the SME version differ from the Enterprise version?

• I just have my users download Spy Sweeper from the Internet. Why should I buy the SME or Enterprise version?

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What is Spyware?

Spyware is malicious software installed on a machine, often in order to earn a profit from a third party or track the activity of a user. Spyware consists of computer software that gathers and reports information about a computer user, without the user's knowledge or consent.

What are the types of Spyware?

Webroot classifies spyware in 3 major categories with varying levels of threat risk. System monitors and Trojans are the most malicious type of spyware that can cause serious security breaches within your organization. Whereas, Adware tends to cause desktop and network performance problems and can seriously impact employee productivity and helpdesk costs.

• System Monitors

Range in capabilities and may record some or all of the following: keystrokes, e-mails, chat room conversations, instant messages, web sites visited, programs run, time spent on web sites or using programs, and even user names and passwords. The information is transmitted via remote access or sent by e-mail or stored locally for manual retrieval.

• Trojan Horses

A Trojan horse is a malicious program disguised as a harmless software program. Trojans do not replicate themselves like viruses, but spread through e-mail attachments and web downloads.

The Trojan may install itself on your computer without your knowledge or consent. It may have the ability to create, delete, rename, view, or transfer files to or from your computer. It may install a program that allows a malicious user to install, execute, open, or close software programs or take full control of the infected machine. The malicious user may even send spam by sending mass e-mails from your infected computer. Trojans can cause significant damage including disabling security software and installing tools to allow hackers remote access to the machine. 

• Adware

Adware is often bundled with or embedded within utilitarian programs like file-sharing applications, search utilities, information-providing programs, and software such as screensavers, cartoon cursors, backgrounds, sounds, etc. Adware applications may monitor your Internet surfing activities and display advertising including targeted pop-up, pop-under, and other advertisements on your computer. Some adware may track your web surfing habits. Deleting adware may result in the deletion of the bundled freeware application.

What is Spy Sweeper?

Spy Sweeper is an anti-spyware system with an agent that runs on a Windows workstation. Spy Sweeper identifies software placed on the computer by a user's visit to websites that have embedded links to download such software. A second way such software can get on a user's workstation is via attaching portable devices such as USB drives, CDs and DVDs, and even floppy drives. The Spy Sweeper desktop agent downloads spyware and malware signatures from Webroot's set of definitions.

Founded in 1997, Webroot is the l argest private security company in North America and is the l argest independent research team in the world focused on spyware. Spy Sweeper protects over 5,000,000 desktops in over 10,000 enterprise customers and over 9,000,000 consumer desktops. Spy Sweeper has the largest market share in both arenas.

How is Spy Sweeper Enterprise Better than Other Systems?

How is Anti-Spyware Different from Anti-Virus?

• Spyware is Harder to Find

• Research for AV is passive — “Honey Pot” works for finding new viruses
• Spyware research is active — Webroot’s “Phileas” hunts Spyware

• Spyware is Harder to Remove

• A Virus signature typically has between 1 and 50 traces on an infected desktop
• A Spyware signature typically has between 20 and over 500 traces on an infected desktop.
• These traces require thousands of removal routines to deal with registry entries, watcher programs, processes, DLLs, etc.

• Spyware is Harder to Keep Up

• Growth of new Spyware is accelerating faster than viruses
• 80% of new signatures are variants aimed at avoiding detection

• Money feeds the Spyware machine

• Viruses are written by hackers for their ego
• Spyware is written for the financial befit of the spyware owner

How does Spy Sweeper Keep Up with Spyware?

• Characteristics

• Largest database of spyware web pages
• 1 hour of 1 Phileas bot equals 10 days of manual work
• Finds malware globally – language independent
• Saves exploit web pages for further analysis
• Benefits
• Zero day protection
• Covers the entire worldwide web
• Automated searching for spyware
• Ability to traverse 1000s urls/second
• Visit more than 60,000,000 html pages/day

I have an existing Anti-Spyware System. How does Spy Sweeper Compare?

• Webroot cleaned 94% of all spyware tested versus 53% for McAfee and 26% for Sunbelt
• Webroot Spy Sweeper Enterprise removed 97% of System Monitors tested
• Webroot Spy Sweeper Enterprise identified and removed 96% of Adware tested
• Webroot cleaned 92% of all spies Versus 37% for Symantec and 28% for Trend

Does Anti-Spyware also Protect from Viruses?

Spy Sweeper does protect from viruses that are introduced via spyware, malware and adware. However, most virus infections are introduced via email or by connection to already infected media. To detect and remove these viruses, Webroot partners with Sophos Anti-Virus software to protect your computers against both threats.

How Does Sophos Stack up Against the Competition?

In testing conducted by Sophos with their standalone AV they reported the following: Sophos was 116% faster than Trend Micro, or completed scanning in 86% of the time taken by Trend Micro. Sophos was 428% faster than Symantec, or completed scanning in 23% of the time taken by Symantec. Sophos was 125% faster than McAfee, or completed scanning in 80% of the time taken by McAfee. Scan times combined with Webroot’s anti-spyware technology will add some additional time, but the combined product is still very fast. Updated Webroot metrics will be forthcoming when testing of Webroot SME is completed upon release of the software to GA.

How does the SME version differ from the Enterprise version of Spy Sweeper?

The SME version of Spy Sweeper combines the benefits of the Enterprise Edition with the benefits of added Sophos Anti-Virus protection. The Enterprise version is for organizations that already have adequate anti-virus protection.

How does Webroot's Enterprise Edition Differ from the Commercial Version?

With the Commercial version, each workstation's agent (client) connects to Webroot's website for Spyware definitions individually. In the Enterprise Edition, the Enterprise Server collects updates from the Webroot Update server and stores the data in a SQL database. The Administrator used the Administration Console to manage the flow of updates directly to the workstation agents or via distribution servers. Numerous reports are available from the Administration Console giving the administrator an “up to the minute” view of the state of spyware trends, infections, spies and offenders.

Each Enterprise server can support unlimited number of distribution servers. Each distribution server can support 1000-5000 desktops depending on the network bandwidth and usage patterns. Based on group assignment, clients are redirected to Distributors when updates are available. Clients then pull down update files from the Distributor update directory.