Industry First Provides 'Traffic Lights' for Employees Searching the Web and Allows Pre-Emptive Enforcement of Acceptable Use Policies
LONDON and SAN MATEO, Calif. - Feb. 5, 2007 - ScanSafe, the leading global provider of Web Security-as-a-Service, today launched the industry's first safe search tool that allows companies to alert employees before they visit unsafe search results. SearchAhead scans results from popular search engines Google, Yahoo! and MSN, providing advance warning of any malware and guidance on acceptable or unacceptable websites, based on the customer's Web filtering policies.
"Over 90 percent of new sites visited are found through Internet searches," said Dan Nadir, vice president, product strategy, ScanSafe. "Search engines are an essential tool in the workplace, yet they can also be an Achilles' heel in corporate Web filtering policies. SearchAhead provides immediate feedback to end users on the safety of unknown, new websites returned in their search. Users are given advance guidance of security risks rather than blocking them when they stray on to a dangerous new website."
ScanSafe currently processes more than 10 million requests each month for Internet searches on behalf of its customers in over 30 countries. Search engines have increasingly become a gateway for exposure to business risks and malware. According to ScanSafe's 2006 Annual Global Threat Report, of the most common Internet searches (as determined by the Google Zeitgeist report), one in five result pages contained either malware or offensive content. Offensive content represents the greatest risk, accounting for 80 percent of total search blocks. This highlights the increasing risk for corporate users: search results can negatively impact productivity if not managed correctly and also represent risk vectors for information leakage and legal threats.
"With the increasingly devilish malware and social engineering tactics, users need to learn what to do and what not to do," said Mike Rothman, president of Security Incite, an industry analyst firm specializing in the information security market. "Showing employees which links are safe and which aren't - both directly and indirectly increases an organization's security."
SearchAhead is available to customers who subscribe to ScanSafe's Web Filtering service at no additional cost. Because each search result is scanned for malware and unwanted content in real-time, users can be certain that the sites they visit are safe.
"SearchAhead is an excellent addition to ScanSafe's Web Filtering service. Enterprises can reap all the benefits of Internet search engines without breaching their corporate Web use policies and without exposing their network to malware," said Jerry Maze, CIO of Royal Food Service, one of the premier distributors of fresh produce in the Southeastern U.S. "I can be confident that our Web filtering policy is being enforced completely."
When the SearchAhead feature is enabled, it automatically annotates all search engine results with no additional hardware or software required. Search results are traffic-light color-coded according to their status and these warning icons let users know in advance when a particular link will be blocked or logged. Users are presented with a detailed explanation for any warning with the aim of preventing users from accidentally visiting unauthorized sites and breaching their organization's Web usage policy.
ScanSafe Web Filtering Now Includes HTTPS Filtering
In addition to launching SearchAhead, ScanSafe also announced that its Web Filtering service now allows companies to create policies that vary between HTTP-based websites and those with encrypted HTTPS connections. For example, an IT administrator can set a policy that allows staff to access encrypted banking or utility websites in order to access account details or pay bills safely, but block encrypted connections to unclassified or gambling sites. This gives companies the ability to ensure the privacy of their users, while simultaneously protecting them from inappropriate or malicious covert connections.
About ScanSafe
ScanSafe is the leading global provider of Web Security-as-a-Service, ensuring a safe and productive Internet environment for businesses. ScanSafe solutions keep viruses and spyware off corporate networks and allow businesses to control and secure the use of the Web and instant messaging. As a fully managed service, ScanSafe's solutions require no hardware, upfront capital costs or maintenance and provide unparalleled real-time threat protection.
Powered by its proactive, multilayered Outbreak IntelligenceTM threat detection technology, ScanSafe scans more than 6 billion Web requests and blocks 12 million threats each month for customers in over 30 countries.
Since pioneering the market for Web Security-as-a-Service, ScanSafe continues to deliver innovative Web security solutions, including the introduction of the world's first Internet safe search service which scans and classifies search engine results based on the presence of malware and unwanted content. In addition to being part of its corporate Web security service, the safe search early warning technology is available to consumers as a free service at www.Scandoo.com.
With offices in London and San Mateo, California, ScanSafe is privately owned and financed by Benchmark Capital. The company received the Info Security Global Product Excellence Award for Best Managed Security Service and was named one of Red Herring's Top 100 Technology companies. For more information, visit www.scansafe.com.
All trademarks contained within this press release are the sole property of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.
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