MOUNTAIN VIEW – McAfee wants to make web searching a safe experience for users, which is why the company has announced two new solutions that it says will do just that.

To be launched later this quarter, the first product is called McAfee Secure Search Service that leverages McAfee’s SiteAdvisor to eliminate risky sites from search results.

“The web is the new threat vector,” said Christopher Bolin, McAfee’s chief technology officer. “SiteAdvisor tries to prevent the biggest vector for infections that customer face and that is themselves. We are the weakest link and customers that visit vulnerable websites are bringing these things into their organization and into their homes.”

McAfee Secure Search Service will display to consumers McAfee SiteAdvisor’s green, yellow and red ratings that clearly indicate whether a site is safe, if the consumer needs to exercise caution or if it’s risky. Consumers can customize the McAfee Secure Search Service by completely filtering out risky “red” sites, and they can make the McAfee Secure Search Service their browser’s default search engine.

This announcement comes on the heels of McAfee’s recent news of its partnership with Yahoo! to deliver a safer web search experience through Yahoo! Search, called SearchScan. This solution also leverages McAfee’s SiteAdvisor to help alert and warn Yahoo! users of malicious websites that can pose security risks to their PCs. In fact, Yahoo! will be providing the search engine backbone for the McAfee Secure Search Service.

Some statistics McAfee shared is that search engines serve up eight billion risky sites each month, with 80 per cent of website vulnerable to hackers.

Complementing McAfee’s Secure Search Service is McAfee Secure for Web Sites.

“[This] validates that a website is secure by making it past a series of tests on a daily basis,” said Tim Dowling, vice-president of McAfee’s web security group. “So we will display in Secure Search Service which sites have passed that test.”

The sites that have passed the test will display the new McAfee Secure trust mark, as part of the service that identifies their security to Internet users.

Dowling explained that the new service is programmed everyday with new vulnerabilities and will test websites daily for vulnerabilities, dangerous content and links that expose consumers’ computer and personal information to malicious use. This includes testing sites for adware, spyware, excessive pop-ups, spamminess, deceptive marketing practices, browser exploits and potential phishing attacks.

“We heard from website owners that there was no real system out on the Internet to distinguish themselves from the bad guys,” said Dowling.

After a site has been certified as McAfee Secure, it maintains certification only by passing ongoing security audits. If a legitimate site failed the test, Dowling said these customers would be redirected to a password protected customer portal that would give them more detailed information in terms of any vulnerabilities discovered and they get a chance to specifically see where these vulnerabilities are and repair them and have the test run again.

Other features of the McAfee Secure for Web sites include daily proactive scanning to help businesses address potential security issues before they impact customers and suppliers.

Additional testing includes extensive scans which can be run on-demand, the ability to configure scans and real-time access to detailed vulnerability remediation data through reports. When vulnerabilities are detected, McAfee identifies security fixes and provides assistance. For 24/7 convenience, customers can manage vulnerability and management information online, and they have access to unlimited technical support.

The Secure for Web sites solution also includes the McAfee PCI Compliance Certification that helps organization meet PCI standards.

The McAfee Secure for Web site service is available now for website owners. Pricing is based on the number of IP addresses or page views.

This column was written by Vanessa Ho of ConnectIT

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