Sana Security Inc. will release a desktop product next month that uses the companys behavioral malicious-code detection technology to find and remove spyware, keyloggers and other programs.
Primary Response SafeConnect will complement the companys HIPS (host intrusion prevention system) product, Primary Response, on desktop systems and unmanaged network devices, company officials said.
The new malware removal tool marks Sanas entrance into the desktop security market and will compete with similar products from Cisco Systems Inc., Symantec Corp. and Computer Associates International Inc.
The new product will run on Windows systems and will use the latest version of Sanas Active Malware Defense Technology, which analyzes the behavior of programs to spot and classify malicious programs.
In addition to flagging suspicious data, SafeConnect will also be able to clean systems infected by keyloggers, spyware and other unwanted programs. The product can remove executable files, DLLs, file extensions and memory processes used by malicious programs, said Vlad Gorelik, chief technology officer at Sana, in San Mateo, Calif.
Unlike anti-virus products, SafeConnect will be able to remove files without requiring scans of the computers hard drive. The product also doesnt require attack signature updates, which can often trail new attacks by hours or days, Gorelik said.
“Even if you have a signature for a new keylogger in a day, you could still be too late,” Gorelik said.
A clientless version of SafeConnect will enable customers to download an ActiveX file that can scan and disinfect unmanaged systems, Gorelik said.
Sana plans to announce OEM relationships with security appliance vendors to distribute the clientless version of SafeConnect, officials said.
While SafeConnect can initially take time to configure so that it doesnt conflict with other programs, it does provide more complete protection against spyware and malicious programs that try to disguise their presence on systems they infect, said Namarr Strickland, chief information security officer for Fulton County, Ga., which is preparing to test the product. While SafeConnect will run alongside Primary Response on desktop systems, future releases will integrate the two products into one client, Strickland said.
Sana plans to distribute a free beta version of Primary Response SafeConnect from its Web site. The product will sell for $34.95 and come in client and clientless versions.