Monday, 8 November 2004 16:26 EST

Detects and Removes Spyware, Adware, Trojans, Denial-of-Service Agents, And Other Backdoor Web-Based Threats

ISLANDIA, N.Y., November 8, 2004 – Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA) today announced the availability of eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware r5 in packages specially designed for consumers, small and medium businesses, and larger enterprises. Extremely easy to use, the new version detects and removes tens of thousands of "pests" — including spyware, adware, trojans, denial-of-service attack agents, and other backdoor web-based threats — safeguarding PCs from unauthorized access, information theft and diminished system performance.

eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware r5 – part of CA's eTrust Threat Management software portfolio – protects users from a much wider range of threats than popular freeware/shareware tools. It is backed by the CA Security Advisor (http://ca.com/securityadvisor), which provides vulnerability and configuration research, around-the-clock monitoring and protection against malicious code, spyware/adware and blended threats. The CA Security Advisor also maintains an extensive online threat database and provides computer users with free advice on how to delete malicious code and prevent infection.

“eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware addresses the urgent need for effective protection against the growing range of performance-killing, privacy-robbing malware that afflicts just about everyone who is connected to the Internet and doesn't take appropriate precautions,” said Roger Thompson, director of Malicious Content Research at CA. “This new release provides enterprises, consumers and SMBs with the most comprehensive and effective protection available from this serious and pervasive threat.”

Spyware, which has reached epidemic proportions, is broadly defined as any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. Spyware slows system responses, disrupts Internet connectivity and can capture passwords and other keystrokes. Some spyware even install tools that hackers can use to perform identity theft and make other unauthorized use of victims' PCs. In the last month alone, the CA Security Advisor has added more than 1,000 pests to its database.

“At mid-2004, Gartner clients are seeing a surge in manifestations of 'spyware,' invasive methods to steal user privacy that disrupt users and their workstations at home and at work,” said Gartner Vice President and Research Director, John Girard. “Clients report that the cleanup effort may take a few hours, but that in no time at all, the same systems are infected again.” *

By protecting users' systems against these threats, eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware decreases the risk of unauthorized access and helps eliminate a major cause of bandwidth waste and system degradation. For corporate customers, it also reduces help desk calls and streamlines security management – minimizing the amount of time security teams have to spend dealing with spyware-related problems.

“eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware's centralized management console has been a lifesaver against the rash of spyware, adware and pop-ups that threatened to undermine the ability of both on-campus and remote users to perform essential tasks,” said Ricky Stewart, Computer Service Manager at Cornell University. “We are very glad to have CA as our partner in defending our critical IT services from these incessant attacks.”

eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware r5 includes faster detection and removal, and an enhanced graphical interface. Additional enhancements include more flexibility for scheduled scans and automatic updates that protect users from the latest threats as they are discovered. eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware effectively addresses:

* Spyware that “phones home” information about an individual, their computer, and their surfing habits
* Adware that displays unwanted advertising and can slow PCs to a crawl
* Keyloggers that can record every keystroke a person makes in order to steal passwords and other personal data
* Browser hijackers that change an individual's homepage and search results
* Remote Access Trojans (RATs) that allow an attacker to remotely control a computer

Developers can use the eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware Software Developers' Toolkit to develop new products quickly and integrate their solutions easily with third-party Web services and business and consumer offerings.

The consumer version of eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware r5, available through authorized CA partners worldwide and at http://ca.com/pestpatrol in North America, provides enterprise-grade spyware protection for individual PCs. It will also be available through leading national retailers and regional outlets in the United States starting next week.

The corporate version of eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware r5, designed for SMBs and enterprises, enables security administrators to centrally manage anti-spyware protection for an unlimited number of network desktops, both local and remote. From a single centralized management console, administrators can activate manual or automated pest scans of any desktop on the network, and can monitor detection, quarantining, removal and event logging. All scans are transparent to desktop users. The corporate version is available from CA and authorized partners, and at http://ca.com/smb/etrust/pestpatrol.htm in North America.

CA is sponsoring a 30-minute seminar entitled “Spyware Exposed – What You Should Know About the Growing Spyware Threat,” on Friday, Nov. 12 at 12:30 p.m. EST. To register, please visit http://ca.com/webcasts.

About CA

Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE:CA), the world's largest management software company, delivers software and services across operations, security, storage, life cycle and service management to optimize the performance, reliability and efficiency of enterprise IT environments. Founded in 1976, CA is headquartered in Islandia, N.Y., and operates in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit http://ca.com.