Cloudmark proactively protect MySpace users against malicious messaging attacks

(10/03/2009)

Over the last two years, MySpace has taken aggressive steps to protect users and combat spam, phishing and other abusive misuse of the MySpace site. MySpace is working with Cloudmark to proactively protect users against malicious messaging attacks.

Cloudmark’s technology is architected to block spam, phishing and virus threats on virtually any communications platform, from e-mail and mobile to social networks. Cloudmark Authority is the only commercially deployed solution to effectively combat all categories of social networking abuse. MySpace is the first social network to deploy comprehensive messaging security to protect its more than 130 million active users from the new breed of messaging abuse.

“At MySpace, we’ve declared a technology war against spammers and phishers by deploying top-of-the- line security solutions in an ever-evolving threat environment,” said Aber Whitcomb, chief technology officer of MySpace. “Cloudmark’s technology is another part of our holistic approach to providing users with a safer and more secure online experience. With Cloudmark’s real-time user feedback tool for new attacks, our community joins our fight against misuse of the site – it’s truly a Web 2.0 security solution.”

The company’s deployment of Cloudmark Authority is part of this comprehensive initiative. With Cloudmark’s technology installed, MySpace has seen a reduction in spam-based messages with more than 99 percent accuracy and near-zero false positives.

MySpace is dedicated to providing users with a safe and secure experience by focusing on both front- and back-end technology to avert possible security issues. In addition to the company’s integration of Cloudmark Authority, MySpace provides users with educational resources to learn more about how to stay safe and secure online. MySpace also partners with key organisations to raise awareness about spam and phishing best practices and enforces legal action to go after individuals who have attempted to violate the law and harm its users.

“With social networks rapidly becoming targets of spam, phishing and virus attacks, providers must take proactive measures to protect their community members and their brand,” said Hugh McCartney, chief executive officer at Cloudmark. “Social networks now generate billions of dollars in revenue and security of these sites is critical to maintaining community membership and protecting returns. MySpace’s ongoing work with Cloudmark demonstrates the company’s dedication not only to the safety of its users, but also the long-term success of its site.”

The Cloudmark Authority solution offers content-agnostic filtering capabilities that go beyond securing transmitted messages to covering all user- or attacker-generated content. Designed to rapidly detect abuse in any content viewable by social network users, the Cloudmark Authority solution stops all unwanted content that could harm users. Backed by a unique and powerful combination of the Advanced Message Fingerprinting™ technology and real-time feedback from the Cloudmark Global Threat Network™ system, which now includes MySpace users reporting on new attacks, the Cloudmark solution is able to rapidly detect even the most advanced social networking threats. Moreover, unlike competing filtering systems, Cloudmark’s solution can protect all social networking communication vectors, from messages, comments and blog postings to bulletins, profiles and instant messages, and is scalable enough to filter the millions or even billions of messages that pass among social networking users each day.

Related topics:  Internet and Web security   Virus, Worm, Email security, spyware and malware 

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