Proxy-Based Solution Adds New 'Spyware Policy Control' to Stop Spyware Installations; Augments Capabilities to Block Spyware Web Sites and Scan for Spyware Signatures

Dubai - October 20th, 2004: Blue Coat Systems Middle East, a leading provider of proxy appliances, today introduced the industry's first preventive gateway anti-spyware solution. Spyware is affecting nearly all enterprise networks today, according to independent research studies, top industry analysts and IT administrators.

"Only Blue Coat prevents spyware at the gateway," said Ray Kafity, Blue Coat Middle East general manager. "Blue Coat's gateway anti-spyware solution leverages its high-performance ProxySG and ProxyAV appliances to stop spyware installs, block spyware Web sites and scan for spyware signatures, all while providing real-time Web performance. And if spyware agents make their way onto desktop computers, Blue Coat quickly identifies infected machines and triggers a targeted clean-up."

Blue Coat's new proxy-based gateway anti-spyware solution is the first to utilize advanced policy controls to stop "drive-by" spyware installations, which secretly install on desktop computers without user knowledge. The comprehensive solution also blocks access to known spyware Web sites and scans Web content for known spyware signatures. In addition, Blue Coat's solution identifies and reports infected computers to IT administrators, while end-users are also notified that a spyware clean-up is required. 

"Spyware or adware is on a rapid trajectory to replace spam as the most annoying effect of doing business on the Internet," said Peter Firstbrook, program director at META Group, a leading provider of IT research, advisory services and strategic consulting.  "Web proxy controls combined with URL filtering and spyware signatures can be an effective way to keep the network clean and avoid infections in the first place."

Stop Spyware Installations

Spyware often secretly installs via "drive-by" installers, which install spyware in the background without any user interaction.  Blue Coat combats this with its new "Spyware Policy Control" that inspects, filters and blocks Web content associated with spyware installation software.  This preventive

approach is critical when spyware originates from an unknown Web site and when there is no known signature available to detect the malicious program.  Blue Coat's ProxySG appliances provide these necessary controls over Web content down to individual users.

Block Spyware Web Sites

Blue Coat combines reporting features and on-proxy URL filtering to block known spyware and adware Web sites.  These capabilities can block both attempted infections from known spyware Web sites, as well as spyware attempting to "phone home" to a known spyware domain.  The Blue Coat ProxySG supports five leading on-proxy URL filtering databases, plus custom categories, overrides and exceptions to advise, coach and enforce users on spyware protection.

Scan for Spyware Signatures

Blue Coat leverages its high-performance ProxyAV Web anti-virus appliance to scan Web traffic for known spyware signatures using proven third party anti-virus scanning engines.  The ProxyAV provides high-performance Web traffic virus scanning with low latency.

Detect Desktop Spyware and Target for Clean-Up

As a proxy, Blue Coat sits in the middle of the Web data stream and can see all Web traffic traversing the network perimeter, including spyware.  This powerful position in the network allows Blue Coat to provide custom logging, reporting and notification to administrators for a targeted spyware clean-up across desktop systems.  Also announced today, Blue Coat will interoperate with InterMute's SpySubtract solution to inform the end-user of an infection and recommend that SpySubtract be run for removal of spyware agents from the desktop.   

-Ends-

About Blue Coat:
Blue Coat enables organizations to keep "good" employees from doing "bad" things on the Internet. Blue Coat wire-speed proxy appliances provide total visibility and control of Web communications to address today's new business risks - such as inappropriate Web surfing, viruses brought in via back door channels such as instant messaging and Web-based email, and network resource abuse due to peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing and video streaming. Trusted by many of the world's most influential organizations, Blue Coat has shipped more than 18,000 proxy appliances. Blue Coat is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and can be reached at (408) 220-2200 or www.bluecoat.com.

For more information, please contact:
Blue Coat
Dubai Internet City,
Cannon building 9, office 313
P.O. Box 72377
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971-4) 391-1620
FAX: (971-4) 391-1635
E-mail: luqmanmc@eim.ae

For media requests, please contact:
Layth Dajani
P.O. Box 29764,
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +97143341880
Tel 2: +97143676534
Fax: +97184480574
Mobile: +971507145640
E-mail: layth2@emirates.net.ae

© Press Release 2004