McAfee, Inc. Reports on Adware and Spyware Growth

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- McAfee, Inc. today announced the availability of a paper from McAfee(R) Avert(R) Labs entitled, "Adware and Spyware: Unraveling the Financial Web." The paper, which highlights the financial incentives fueling the rise of adware and spyware, the prevalence of adware and spyware, and culprits behind the problem, is available at: http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/default.asp .

McAfee research shows that adware and spyware distributors abuse the affiliate marketing programs of legitimate companies. In addition, adware distributors use front companies and Web sites to reach unsuspecting users and intermediaries, meaning that legitimate sites are finding themselves tied to known spyware distributors. Programs then install themselves on a user's machine, often as the trade-off for a piece of "free" software, and are used to collect marketing data and distribute targeted advertising.

Key research findings from the paper include: * Celebrities are a bigger lure than sex. The most prolific distributors of adware are star/celebrity Web sites -- not the commonly believed adult and pornography Web sites, according to McAfee SiteAdvisor(TM). * The prevalence of adware and spyware is increasing at an exponential rate. By August 2006, there were approximately 450 adware families with more than 4,000 variants. * A recent survey by McAfee SiteAdvisor found that 97% of Internet users could not differentiate safe from unsafe sites, meaning that the majority of users are just one click away from downloading potentially unwanted programs. * The adware business model is lucrative. A recent criminal indictment alleged that Jeanson James Ancheta, a convicted bot-herder, received $150 per each 1,000 infected computers.

"The emergence of lucrative online affiliate-marketing business models and the widespread ease with which adware and spyware can be spread have made them prominent features in the threat landscape," said Jeff Green, senior vice president of product development, McAfee, Inc. "Since 2003, when adware and spyware emerged as dominant threats in the security environment, to 2006, we have seen the number of adware families rise by more than 1,000%, demonstrating a sharp increase over the last several years."

The paper also highlights the confusion merchants and consumers face surrounding spyware and adware, and the blurred boundaries between malicious, unwanted programs and friendly software.

To learn more about adware, spyware, and the top potentially unwanted programs rated by McAfee, visit the McAfee Threat Center: http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/default.asp .

About McAfee Avert Labs

McAfee Avert Labs maintains one of the top-ranked security threat and research organizations in the world, employing researchers in 16 countries around the globe. McAfee Avert Labs combine world-class malicious code and anti-virus research with intrusion prevention and vulnerability research expertise.

About McAfee, Inc.

McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and the global leader in Intrusion Prevention and Security Risk Management, delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that secure systems and networks around the world. With its unmatched security expertise and commitment to innovation, McAfee empowers home users, businesses, the public sector, and service providers with the ability to block attacks, prevent disruptions, and continuously track and improve their security. http://www.mcafee.com/

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