Symantec Bats Botnets with New Tool

Symantec officials say their new Norton AntiBot utility offers users an extra level of protection against bots in order to complement anti-virus products.

AntiBot, which is compatible with security products from other vendors, actively monitors a users computer and removes detected Web robots and other malicious software at the deepest levels of their Windows system, company officials said.

“Its designed to be complementary to anti-virus and internet security products,” said Ed Kim, director of product management in Symantecs Consumer Division. “What it does is it provides an additional layer of real-time behavioral protection.”

Kim noted Symantecs Norton products already have some behavioral detection capabilities. Still, he contended, AntiBot complements the vendors existing offerings. In addition, it is designed as a stand-alone product so it can be used to benefit non-Norton products on the market, he said.

/zimages/3/28571.gifRead morehereabout one security execs view that the battle against Botnets is a Game of Whack-a-Mole

“For the foreseeable future it is a stand-alone product,” Kim said. “If a bot is dormant, and is not impacting your future, then as soon as it starts to execute or exhibit any sort of behavior on the system, then this products…capabilities come into play.”

Kim said Symantec detected a 29 percent increase in active bots in the second half of 2006 versus the first half of 2006, and the total number of active bots detected was greater than 6 million.

Symantec is far from the only company looking to tackle the issue. Earlier this year, Mi5 Networks added technology to its Webgate appliance to help organizations detect botnet activity inside their networks and combat malware in Web traffic.

With AntiBot, customers receive the right to use this product on one PC or on the specified number of PCs during a one-year service period, which begins upon initial installation. It is available from the Symantec online store at a price of $29.99. The cost includes a one-year subscription to Symantecs protection updates.

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