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Easy Spyware Protection for Every Size Business

Spyware, adware, and other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) wreak havoc on all companies, no matter the size or type of business. The dangers of PUPs range from annoying advertising pop-ups to significant damage to PCs and the network. PUPs monitor keystrokes and scan files, so they can lead to identity theft. Spyware, for example, exposes trade secrets and reveals account information, login names, and passwords. What's worse is that the threat of spyware and PUPs is getting worse every day.

The harmful effects of spyware and other PUPs can affect your entire organization. PUPs slow down and crash your computers. Productivity goes down as the cleanup cost goes up. Often your only choice to remove this malware is to wipe the hard drive and start fresh, a task that takes hours.

Small- and medium-size businesses face their own set of complications: limited budgets, resources, and security expertise. McAfee addresses these concerns with two targeted PUP protection packages.

Dual PUP Protection

The most effective way to combat PUPs is the two-layer solution: network and desktop filters used in tandem. Each has its own advantages. McAfee® Secure Internet Gateway blocks PUPs from entering the network. McAfee® AntiSpyware Enterprise protects desktops and laptops, and can remove any PUPs that might reach those systems.

"It's a best practice to have multiple layers of security protection," says Jack Marsal, McAfee's Senior Product Marketing Manager for Secure Content Management Appliances. "Having a layer at the edge of your network and another layer on each system offers comprehensive protection. Most companies protect themselves against viruses this way."

In September 2005, Network World tested McAfee Secure Web Gateway against 15 other products. McAfee came out on top. Network World granted McAfee its Clear Choice Award based on the effectiveness of protection and ease of installation and management. "McAfee® Secure Web Gateway thwarted 90 percent of the spyware in our tests, has an intuitive user interface, and was child's play to install," said Network World editors.

The most effective protection shields both the network perimeter as well as the desktops. Perimeter protection is critical because the network is the first access point for spyware and other unwanted programs. "You can block PUPs from your entire network just by adding an appliance to your network perimeter," says Marsal.

McAfee Secure Internet Gateway proactively protects against spyware, adware and other Web threats like phishing, viruses, worms, and spam in a single-box solution. You can add Web filtering to prevent employees from visiting inappropriate Web sites and conserve network bandwidth. While this optional capability makes Web filtering accessible to small and medium businesses, it also adds another layer of protection against PUPs.

"In the past, Web filtering was used mostly by large enterprises, because smaller businesses found it too complicated to install and configure. McAfee Web Filtering changes the game. It brings this highly useful technology to the mass market," Marsal says.

Secure Internet Gateway also filters e-mails for viruses and worms. "It's very important to have perimeter security to make sure e-mail is clean before it reaches you," Marsal says.

Protecting the Desktop

As with all security, a multi-layer approach to preventing unwanted software is the most effective. Protection against PUPs on the desktop is crucial, especially if you work from home or on the road.

McAfee AntiSpyware Enterprise integrates with McAfee®  VirusScan®  on your desktops to detect, quarantine, and remove such PUPs as spyware, Trojans, dialers, tracking cookies, and persistent marketing programs--before they compromise your personal information, invade your privacy, or degrade your PC's performance. It blocks these unwanted programs from installing with true on-access scanning, which prevents PUPs from infecting your systems.

Or you could subscribe to Managed VirusScan plus AntiSpyware, our service that automatically protects your computers. Managed VirusScan plus AntiSpyware detects spyware programs when they try to run, stops programs that attempt to install spyware. This Web-based service automatically checks for threats, cleaning them if possible, quarantining and deleting them if not, and generating reports. It ensures that your systems are always up to date with the most current anti-virus definition files, and reports the current state of health of your business systems.

Since this article was written, McAfee has introduced McAfee®  Total Protection solutions, which offer similar and expanded capabilities. Please see our products section for additional information.

Resources

Learn why Network World gave McAfee Secure Web Gateway a Clear Choice Award

Learn more about McAfee Secure Internet Gateway

Learn more about McAfee AntiSpyware Enterprise