In the past a distinct divide split enterprise and consumer computing trends. That divide blurred somewhat when IPSec enabled us to leverage the consumer adoption of broadband access. In these terms, the biggest concerns for most enterprises was how to ensure that corporate owned assets, typically the road warriors PCs, could connect securely and privately. It was a problem confined to a small set of manageable issues.
With the rise of SSL VPN, the model has changed dramatically. Employees and partners can now connect from more than company owned PCs - they can connect from home PCs, business center PCs, and even Internet kiosks. With this ubiquitous access, any PC on the consumer driven Internet becomes an access point. Years ago this in itself wouldn't have given a major cause of pause for IT administrators. That was before the explosion of spyware, however.
According to the Gartner Group, the rise of spyware now occupies 25% of enterprise helpdesk calls.
The Rise of Spyware
Today, spyware is a concern of almost every enterprise organization. Why? The numbers speak for themselves. According to the Gartner Group, the rise of spyware now occupies 25% of enterprise helpdesk calls. Dell Computers, now one of the dominant providers of consumer PCs, estimates that 20% of their helpdesk calls are spent on the problem. In fact a recent joint study by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) found that 80% of PCs surveyed were infected with spyware.
Spyware, Why the Enterprise is at Risk?
Spyware in itself is a generic term that covers any information designed to monitor and potentially report user behavior. From an enterprise perspective, not all spyware is a concern. For example, third party cookies and adware, while a concern of the consumer, are not necessarily a concern of the enterprise. What are of concern are the more insidious types of spyware - like keystroke loggers. From an enterprise perspective, keystroke logging is an easy way to steal passwords and other critical enterprise data.
In 2004, theft of proprietary data ranked third among losses from cybersecurity breaches, only following viruses and Denial of Service attacks. Unfortunately, theft of this information is
increasingly being attributed to spyware, the latest risk coming from the installation of keystoke loggers through phishing scams.
Financial institutions are increasingly being targeted with keystroke loggers designed to grab confidential account information, with cases being reported in both the US and the UK. But the problem isn't confined to the financial industry. In late 2003, hackers used keystroke loggers to steal the source code from the developers of the software game "Half Life 2" and shortly there after it appeared posted on the internet.
SSL VPN: Growing Beyond Connectivity
Just like IPSec VPNs, SSL VPNs are maturing beyond their core connectivity to include security as part of the solution. As IPSec VPNs matured, solutions began to address concerns about sharing bandwidth on a network that was not trusted, such as DSL or cable, by including personal firewall technology in the client itself. In a similar manner, enterprises are demanding that SSL VPNs address similar issues. The spyware problem now impacting enterprise IT helpdesks is emphasizing the need for this requirement. Enterprises today require a means to balance the need to deliver the ubiquitous nature of SSL VPN remote access while addressing the need to keep data secure. Enter Check Point Connectra.
Connectra: Check, Then Connect
To ensure that PCs infected with malicious software will not compromise enterprise security, Connectra inspects each system connecting to the corporate network via SSL VPN before they logon. This inspection equates to the fundamental ability to identify keystroke loggers before a user attempts to type in their username and password. Connectra allows administrators to inspect an endpoint for several key pieces of malicious software, including worms, hacker tools, adware, etc. In addition, with the rapid growth of spyware, Connectra can receive real-time endpoint security protections via the Check Point SmartDefense Service.
The Web Security Gateway
With integrated security features, like spyware and malware checking, Connectra moves beyond standard SSL VPN connectivity and addresses the real security threats enterprises are encountering with SSL VPN. With Connectra, enterprises can enable remote access from diverse endpoints without compromising data security. Check Point's Connectra is ensuring that the spyware problem of the many consumer PCs does not present a threat to enterprise connectivity.
Read more on Check Point's Connectra.