Spyware Threat to Computer Systems
Spyware consists of "executables" that infect computers used to visit malicious websites or reply to mass e-mailings. Most anti-virus and anti-spyware tools rely on the mass propagation of viruses and spyware to create signatures of the bad software, so that it can befound and removed from infected machines. BUt the attack in israel used custom-developed malicious software that was aimed at specific targets using specific delivery methods. Most anti-virus and anti spyware tools would be unlikely to find these executable.
How to protect you systems
- Gartner said businesses should protect desktops from attacks of this type by deploying;
- Host-based intrusion prevention software that includes behaviour-based detection to block unknown executables, and signature-based anti-virus and anti-spyware tools
- Centrally managed disc encryption storage for all PCs that hold sensitive information
- Outbound content filtering and blocking spyware that can prevent the electronic communication of sensitive information outside the enterprise.
Source: Computer Weekly, Tuesday 7 June 2005.
