The results of Spy Audit survey made by ISP Earthlink and Webroot Software are still fresh in memory of IT security experts. The study lasted for
whole last year; more than 4.6 million system scans were made in 2004. On May 3, 2005 Webroot's State of Spyware Report was released. What's new in Q1 2005?Although statistics often is blamed for various deadly sins -- from being biased to being inaccurate -- there is nothing left to those who are anyhow connected with IT but to keep up with fresh data. Since spyware is literally ubiquitous, nobody who owns or uses a PC can say that it is none of his business. So general public also has to keep an eye on news about spyware.
On May 3 Webroot Software, a privately held anti-spyware company based in Boulder, Colorado, released a comprehensive report on spyware, The State of Spyware Report, -- an in-depth review and analysis of impact of spyware, adware and other types of unwanted software on consumers and enterprises.
The results of Spy Audit survey made by ISP Earthlink and Webroot Software are still fresh in memory of IT security experts. The study lasted for whole last year; more than 4.6 million system scans were made in 2004. What's new in 2005?
"Industry experts suggest that these types of programs [i.e. spyware in general] may reside on up to 90 percent of all Internet-connected computers" that's quote from last year's Spy Audit survey. The first quarter of 2005, alas, confirmed these suggestions.
During Q1, 2005, 88% of scans made with Webroot's SpyAudit software found some form of unwanted program (Trojan, system monitor, cookie or adware) on consumers' computers. The majority (87%) of corporate PCs also had unwanted programs or cookies.
