Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cybersecurity

    CA Wins Deal to Protect 20M AOL Users

    By
    Paul F. Roberts
    -
    September 21, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      America Online is deploying anti-spyware technology from CA in a new version of its client software.

      America Online Inc. on Wednesday announced ASP (AOL Spyware Protection) 2.0, which uses Computer Associates International Inc.s eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware technology to scan AOL users systems for 28,000 different kinds of spyware.

      Pest Patrol will allow AOL to scan its customers systems more frequently for spyware—as frequently as once a minute—and give CA a new base of 20 million AOL users, the companies said.

      AOL members who use AOL 9.0 and AOL 8.0 and above who downloaded the ASP software will automatically receive the update when they sign in.

      Customers can also obtain it from AOL using the keyword: Spyware, AOL said.

      AOL first introduced anti-spyware features in May 2004 using technology from Aluria Software of Orlando, Fla., as well as an internally developed anti-spyware tool called SpyZapper, said Andrew Weinstein, a company spokesman.

      AOL decided to change to CA because the PestPatrol database was much larger, enabling AOL to use SpyZapper spot more variants of spyware than the “handful” it detected previously.

      The PestPatrol anti-spyware technology can also scan systems more often and more quickly, allowing AOL to add minute-by-minute scans that look for spyware that is running in the computers memory, as well as daily scans of AOL customer computers.

      Weekly “full drive scans” that used to take “a couple hours” take minutes with PestPatrol, he said.

      AOL members cite spyware as a top concern. AOL blocks and deletes millions of spyware programs from its customers computers every day, Weinstein said.

      AOL chose PestPatrol, in part, for its large database of spyware applications, but the company plans on letting its users decide what spyware is and what isnt, Weinstein said.

      For example, when Aluria stopped detecting adware from WhenU, AOL insisted that the company restore detection for the companys software, because close to 95 percent of AOL users removed the products when they were found, Weinstein said.

      Computer Associates has also attracted criticism, after the company temporarily stopped detecting programs from Claria.

      Weinstein said that AOL will have the ability to add or remove programs from CAs spyware definitions for AOL, which will not affect CAs other customers.

      “The number one source of feedback we get regarding what is spyware is our members,” Weinstein said. “We want to keep that as the key decision point on what is spyware.”

      /zimages/5/28571.gifClick here to read more about CAs anti-spyware military contract.

      A CA spokesperson acknowledged that AOL requested the ability to add or remove definitions and cleaning instructions from the CA spyware knowledgebase to make sure that new and emerging threats can be added at AOLs discretion.

      AOL will be expanding its “honeynet,” a network of computers that attract and capture spyware samples which PestPatrol uses to create antispyware signatures, said Sam Curry, vice president of eTrust Security Management at CA.

      CA will also use AOLs 20 million members to add to the spyware knowledgebase in the future, the CA spokeswoman said.

      The company hopes that its new relationship with AOL will help establish common ground on what is and isnt spyware, Curry said.

      “One problem is that theres a real lack of standards. Two different (anti-spyware) applications can give you wildly different numbers,” Curry said.

      Both AOL and CA are members of the Anti-Spyware Coalition, an industry group sponsored by the Center for Democracy and Technology.

      “Hopefully some good will come of that, as well,” he said.

      /zimages/5/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzers Weblog.

      Paul F. Roberts
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×