Worker revenge gets nastier with spyware
Announcement posted by SurfControl 19 Apr 2005
A malicious case where a Queensland man used a spyware program to ruin his colleagues reputation has highlighted the extent of internet and email hazards facing employers, internet security company SurfControl said today.
SurfControl Managing Director Charles Heunemann said it was reported that an after-school care worker stole his colleagues computer passwords using a key-logging spyware program.
Using the passwords, he sent emails in her name implying she was a pedophile, Heunemann said.
The worker sent one incriminating email to the principal of the school and then wrote to Queensland Department of Education citing rumours of inappropriate conduct.
Heunemann said the case demonstrated the growing minefield of threats posed by internet and email.
The human resources and legal liability issues surrounding the case show how complicated security has become for Australian companies, Heunemann said.
Spyware is the name for a program that secretly collects information or interferes with a computers performance or settings. Most spyware is downloaded unwittingly from the internet.
Eighty per cent of computers connected to the internet have forms of spyware installed on them, according a study by the US National Cyber Security Alliance and AOL .
Spyware programs like the one used by the Queensland worker can compromise confidentiality with far-reaching and serious consequences for both employers and workers, Heunemann said.
The Nambour man received 15 months probation for the attack.
Late last year, a Sydney man was caught downloading pornographic images onto his bosss computer to damage his career.
About SurfControl
SurfControl plc (LSE: SRF) is a world leading Internet Security company delivering multiple layers of threat protection to shield organizations from known, emerging and customer-specific Internet threats.
The Company has redefined traditional filtering by offering a unified Enterprise Protection SuiteTM that continuously filters inbound and outbound Internet traffic to eliminate spam, spyware and phishing
attacks, as well as Web and e-mail abuse. SurfControl provides an Adaptive Threat IntelligenceTM service from its Global Threat ExpertsSM to respond quickly with automatic, proactive security updates to protect customers.
Customers avoid significant business downtime that impacts productivity and the bottom line, while limiting legal liability and enforcing regulatory compliance and confidentiality.
SurfControl has more than 20,000 enterprise customers worldwide, and employs more than 550 people in 14 offices across the globe. For further information and news on SurfControl, please visit: www.surfcontrol.com.
SurfControl Managing Director Charles Heunemann said it was reported that an after-school care worker stole his colleagues computer passwords using a key-logging spyware program.
Using the passwords, he sent emails in her name implying she was a pedophile, Heunemann said.
The worker sent one incriminating email to the principal of the school and then wrote to Queensland Department of Education citing rumours of inappropriate conduct.
Heunemann said the case demonstrated the growing minefield of threats posed by internet and email.
The human resources and legal liability issues surrounding the case show how complicated security has become for Australian companies, Heunemann said.
Spyware is the name for a program that secretly collects information or interferes with a computers performance or settings. Most spyware is downloaded unwittingly from the internet.
Eighty per cent of computers connected to the internet have forms of spyware installed on them, according a study by the US National Cyber Security Alliance and AOL .
Spyware programs like the one used by the Queensland worker can compromise confidentiality with far-reaching and serious consequences for both employers and workers, Heunemann said.
The Nambour man received 15 months probation for the attack.
Late last year, a Sydney man was caught downloading pornographic images onto his bosss computer to damage his career.
About SurfControl
SurfControl plc (LSE: SRF) is a world leading Internet Security company delivering multiple layers of threat protection to shield organizations from known, emerging and customer-specific Internet threats.
The Company has redefined traditional filtering by offering a unified Enterprise Protection SuiteTM that continuously filters inbound and outbound Internet traffic to eliminate spam, spyware and phishing
attacks, as well as Web and e-mail abuse. SurfControl provides an Adaptive Threat IntelligenceTM service from its Global Threat ExpertsSM to respond quickly with automatic, proactive security updates to protect customers.
Customers avoid significant business downtime that impacts productivity and the bottom line, while limiting legal liability and enforcing regulatory compliance and confidentiality.
SurfControl has more than 20,000 enterprise customers worldwide, and employs more than 550 people in 14 offices across the globe. For further information and news on SurfControl, please visit: www.surfcontrol.com.