The document discusses that previously accepted reputation methods such as Real-time Black Lists (RBLs), whitelisting and static reputation services are ineffective in the face of traffic generated by zombies or ‘bots, which generate 85% of the world’s unwanted email messages. Zombies are typically home computers that have been infected by Trojan malware, which permits them to be controlled remotely in order to launch spam and virus attacks. Home computers often change their IP address (i.e. the identifying number that indicates location on the Internet) based on a dynamic system with their Internet Service Provider.
“Only a real-time solution can address today’s state of affairs, where the originating IP addresses of spam-senders are changing dynamically,” said Amir Lev, President and CTO of Commtouch. “After participating in a massive, distributed spam attack, the zombie can go into hibernation until the next outbreak, by which time its IP address will already be different. So the reputation service must recognize the spam-sending computer at the moment it becomes active on the Internet.”
Commtouch Reputation Service is based on the billions of email messages Commtouch analyzes from all over the globe each week. On an ongoing basis, Commtouch probes key global traffic sources and examines email messages with its Recurrent Pattern Detection™ technology to identify spam and malware outbreaks. This data is fed continuously into the Reputation Service database, which is used to block unwanted email at the perimeter of the organization.
Commtouch licenses its Reputation Service – as well as separate services for Anti-Spam and Zero-Hour Virus Outbreak Protection – to messaging security vendors and managed service providers.
To download the white paper Commtouch Reputation Service: Fighting in the Gray Zone, click http://www.commtouch.com/reputation-whitepaper.
About Commtouch
Commtouch Software Ltd. (Nasdaq:CTCH) is dedicated to protecting and preserving the integrity of the world's most important communications tool -- email. Commtouch has over 15 years of experience developing messaging software and is a global developer and provider of proprietary anti-spam, Zero-Hour virus protection and IP Reputation solutions. Using core technologies including RPD (Recurrent Pattern Detection™), the Commtouch Detection Center analyzes billions of email messages per month to identify new spam and malware outbreaks within minutes of their introduction into the Internet. Integrated by more than 50 OEM partners, Commtouch technology protects thousands of organizations, with over 50 million users in over 100 countries. Commtouch is headquartered in Netanya, Israel, and has a subsidiary in Mountain View, CA. For more information, see: www.commtouch.com, including the Commtouch online lab detailing spam statistics and charts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including projections about Commtouch business, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. For example, statements in the future tense, and statements including words such as "expect," "plan," "estimate," "anticipate," or "believe" are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on information available to us at the time of the release; we assume no obligation to update any of them. The statements in this release are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations as a result of numerous factors, including business conditions and growth or deterioration in the Internet market, commerce and the general economy, both domestic as well as international; fewer than expected new-partner relationships; competitive factors, including pricing pressures; technological developments, and products offered by competitors; the ability of our OEM partners to successfully penetrate markets with products integrated with Commtouch technology; a slower than expected acceptance rate for our newer product offerings; availability of qualified staff for expansion; and technological difficulties and resource constraints encountered in developing new products, as well as those risks described in the text of this press release and the company's Annual Reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K, which are available through www.sec.gov.
Recurrent Pattern Detection, RPD and Zero-Hour are trademarks, and Commtouch is a registered trademark, of Commtouch Software Ltd. U.S. Patent No. 6,330,590 is owned by Commtouch.