StopBadware.org, Sunbelt Software partner to fight badware

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — StopBadware.org, the collaborative initiative to combat viruses, spyware, and other bad software, announced today that Sunbelt Software, developer of the VIPRE anti-malware product line, will participate in the effort as a data partner. Sunbelt Software joins Google in contributing data to the project, which is based at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. The initiative is funded by Google, PayPal, Mozilla, AOL, and Trend Micro.

Hundreds of thousands of websites—some might count them in the millions—are associated with the distribution of badware. Some are deliberately malicious, trying to trick users into installing a virus on their computers, while others are legitimate websites that have been tampered with, putting the site’s visitors at risk. In the most egregious cases, such sites can infect computers with vulnerable software simply by a user browsing to the page, a practice known as drive-by downloads.

StopBadware.org collects the URLs of these badware websites, whether malicious or compromised, from its data partners. It uses the information to support and encourage site owners and web hosting companies in cleaning up and protecting their sites. The initiative also conducts analysis of infection trends, offers independent reviews of its partners’ findings, and operates a community website, BadwareBusters.org, that provides help to people who have been victims—or wish to avoid becoming victims—of badware.

“We are thrilled that a well-respected anti-malware company like Sunbelt Software has come on board as a data partner,” said Maxim Weinstein, manager of StopBadware.org. “The new data offers us a different view of the badware website landscape and will help us to extend our reach and to provide richer analysis.”

Sunbelt Software’s director of malware research, Eric Howes, has been an advisor to StopBadware.org since early in its development, but the data partnership represents the first time the company has established an official relationship with the project.

“Sunbelt Software has always encouraged a collaborative approach to addressing the malware problem,” said Eric Howes. “We are pleased to formalize our ongoing relationship with StopBadware and support the important work it does in educating the public and the industry.”

Sunbelt will provide research data via ThreatTrack™, a comprehensive array of malicious url and malware data feeds. The data in these feeds is derived from multiple sources including: research from Sunbelt Labs; ThreatNet™, Sunbelt’sVIPRE user community that anonymously sends information on potential threats to Sunbelt Labs; and Sunbelt CWSandbox, the leading automated malware behavior analysis tool for fast and autonomous analysis of large
volumes of malware samples.

This morning, StopBadware.org launched a new, richer report interface—integrating the new Sunbelt Software data—to its searchable Badware Website Clearinghouse. The new reports allow security researchers, law enforcement, site owners, and other interested parties to see a site’s current and past badware activity, along with basic information about the site. Future enhancements are expected to provide insight into the concentration of badware sites on particular networks.

About StopBadware.org

StopBadware.org is a partnership among the academic community, consumer groups, technology industry leaders, and volunteers committed to protecting Internet users from threats to their privacy and security caused by bad software. StopBadware.org is led by Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. The initiative is supported by Google, PayPal, Mozilla, AOL, and Trend Micro. For more information, please visit http://www.stopbadware.org.

About Sunbelt Software

Headquartered in Tampa Bay (Clearwater), Fla., Sunbelt Software was founded in 1994 and is a leading provider of Windows security and management software with product solutions in the areas of antispam software and antivirus software, antispyware software, and vulnerability assessment. Leading products include the CounterSpy and VIPRE product lines, Ninja Email Security, Sunbelt Exchange Archiver, and CWSandbox malware analysis tools. The company, located in Tampa Bay, Florida is part of the French-based Sunbelt International Group. For more information about Sunbelt Software, please visit the company’s website at: http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com.

Contact:

Brian Alberti
Davies Murphy Group
+1-781-418-2403
sunbelt@daviesmurphy.com

Maxim Weinstein
StopBadware.org
+1-617-384-9101
mweinstein@cyber.harvard.edu

Laurie Murrell
Sunbelt Software
+1-727-562-0101
lauriem@sunbeltsoftware.com

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