Miami Children's Hospital uses that multitiered approach to fighting spyware. First it relies on managed E-mail security services from MessageLabs to monitor and track incoming E-mail messages for suspicious attachments, potential Trojan viruses, and keylogger threats. Next, it uses Web-filtering software from WebSense to block out sites that are known to harbor spyware and other insidious software parasites. Finally, the hospital deploys antivirus and antispyware software from a variety of vendors on all desktop workstations. "We don't really have one technology to get the job done," says MCH's Naveira. "You cannot rely on one thing to protect your whole organization."
The Search for Solutions
"I can kill a virus but I can't kill spyware," says Kim Jones, director of global security services at eFunds, a financial technologies company. "Right now, if I find a desktop with spyware on it, I have to pull the computer off the network, wipe the hard disk, do a hard format, and completely rebuild the system. You are talking about downtime and manual labor spent rebuilding that box. I'd love to have an antivirus-type solution instead."
Having one centralized solution to the spyware problem has become a Holy Grail of sorts for large organizations. Vendors such as Symantec and Blue Coat have tried to differentiate themselves by offering enterprise or gateway products rather than desktop applications. CA has offered its eTrust Pest Patrol software as a consumer product and as a corporate edition for enterprises. The latter combines client software with a central console application that can remotely manage antispyware deployment and updating across thousands of PCs. Cornell University's Athletic and Physical Education Department now uses eTrust to effectively manage antispyware installations across 250 desktop machines.
Microsoft's dryly named AntiSpyware application, in beta testing but available for download at the company's Website, represents the first step in what some hope will be a march of Microsoft antispyware tools for enterprise customers. Using technology originally developed by Giant Company Software (acquired by Microsoft in December), the application offers a fairly bare-bones approach to catching and deleting spyware on desktop PCs that run Windows. The software is expected to be officially released later this year, and many speculate that it will be incorporated into the next version of Windows.
The jury is still out on whether any of these solutions will provide the kind of safety net Corporate America will need against spyware infiltration. While waiting for someone to deliver a solution to satisfy large users, many industry analysts and technology managers fear spyware may evolve into a greater threat as it combines with viruses, phishing techniques, and other forms of "malware" to create a hydralike monster for corporations.
"This has already happened — we're seeing it," says eFunds's Jones. "We are at the beginning of the curve. Viruses are already being used as delivery mechanisms for spyware. Next, I see spyware invading your PDAs, Blackberries, wireless devices, and cell phones. In fact, we are beginning to see some of those things already."
Jones isn't entirely pessimistic about the possibility of better tools in the antispyware war — he just doesn't expect to see any within the next year or so. That, unfortunately, will give spyware developers more time to improve their wares. As he says, "Security lags technology. It will get better, but there will still be a certain level of pain."
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