Spyware in the Enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Spyware in the Enterprise - Essay Example It first appeared in the late nineties, although the name spyware is attributed to Zone Labs founder Gregor Freund who is suspected to have introduced it in 2000 (Wikipedia 2007). In referring to the present state of spyware, Gartner computer analyst John Pescatore reported "It's rapidly turning into a very serious problem. Last year, it was mostly annoying with all the pop-ups, but now it's leaving behind more serious problems," (Mark 2004). This report gives a detailed overview of the problems, and the various solutions currently available for combating spyware at the enterprise level. Multi-level preventive measures are essential in resolving the issues caused by spyware as they can considerably impact the its affect on the overall productivity of an organization. At this point, it is virtually impossible to fully eliminate the problem off a network, but there are several methods to control its influence at a level that minimizes its effect on the integrity of company networks and resources. Spyware has progressively become a serious technological concern for most enterprises which must rely on internetworking for business. According to a recent report it is the second largest network related security issue in enterprises (Sophos 2007). Commonly spyware is referenced as a combination of adware (ads, pop-ups) and application level data mining software. It is heavily financed by advertisers as a marketing approach to retrieve time-critical and sensitive information on the habits of online users. These financial backers in turn obtain relevant information to better target their advertising in part, or to resell the obtained data to the adequate parties, such as market research companies and the like. When it comes to the enterprise, the information targeted can be highly confidential as it is with our organization. After reading this report, the average employee is expected to be familiar with the meaning of spyware and related terms, the risks it entails, and some simple methods and practices to combat it on the enterprise network. How do we address the issue of spyware What are the various steps that can be implemented as an organization to reduce the risk presented by it Is installing an Anti-virus a sufficient strategy What could be the consequences of confidential data loss In this segment, we answer these questions as we offer a tour of spyware and its relevance as a security hazard in the workforce. Unlike other items, this issue concerns us all as we each share an internet connection at work; and thus are likely to have been infected by some form of spyware already. The problem and its impact on enterprise According to the National Cyber Security Alliance in the United States, about 90% of US PCs were reported to have some sort of spyware on them (NCSA 2005). This staggering number in the US alone gives an idea of the size of the problem. Even though, we do not have an estimate of the percentage of the Australian PCs infected, we are estimating it is comparable in percentage based on government research (Australian Government 2005). The problem is widespread because spyware passes through standard layers of security easier than most of us are prepared for. Spyware mostly infects a computer or laptop through its browser; an application we all use to access information on the