Miami-Dade County Public Schools Expel Spyware Through BigFix AntiPest(TM) Solution.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- Using BigFix, Inc.'s AntiPest, powered by CA PestPatrol, anti-spyware product, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (Dade Schools) have cracked down on spyware on the district's 70,000 personal computers used by students, teachers and administrators. After deploying BigFix AntiPest, Dade Schools have reduced spyware infection rates by 90 percent, going from a 40 percent infection rate to a four percent rate. Dade Schools recently added the AntiPest product to its existing BigFix security configuration management solution that protects networked PCs located at over 360 schools in the county.

While to most computer users, spyware usually is more of an annoyance than a threat, it also has darker side as a tool for cyber-crimes that include identity theft, data and financial misappropriation, unauthorized use of computing assets, and turning computers into zombie machines broadcasting spam without their users' knowledge. Since the majority of the school district's computers are used by K-12 students, spyware has become a critical Internet safety issue at Dade Schools and other educational institutions.

Spyware Shock

Dade Schools suspected it had a problem with spyware, but Information Technology staff were shocked at its magnitude when results of the first-round deployment of BigFix AntiPest on 12,000 computers revealed a 40 percent infection rate. After the Dade Schools IT department reported this finding to senior administrators, they ordered immediate deployment of BigFix AntiPest on Dade Schools' 70,000 computers. After booting spyware off Dade Schools campuses, the remaining four percent of computers that pick up new spyware through routine access to the Internet can be easily identified and remedied by Dade Schools Information Technology staff.

The initial sweep of the Dade Schools network revealed that many variations of spyware had gained a foothold on its computers--including highly malicious key loggers and remote access Trojan horse break-ins. Key loggers capture highly sensitive data, including passwords, personal information, account numbers and other information used for identity theft, privacy violations and financial crimes. Remote access Trojans overcome data security defense measures such as firewalls, password protections and user privilege settings to access sensitive data on a computing infrastructure.

Fast, Effective Solution

The BigFix AntiPest solution has proven to be fast to install, easy to maintain and highly effective. The initial deployment on 12,000 machines required only four hours of installation time and reported results immediately. The production deployment on the district's 70,000 computers took place over four days. The IT department estimates it devotes one hour of staff per week to administrate the BigFix AntiPest solution. This represents a sharp reduction in staff time and effort required to manually intervene in previous spyware outbreaks. This also means that the IT department has progressed from a manual-intervention approach to the spyware problem, to a more proactive stance integrated into ongoing IT operational management.

Currently, Dade Schools checks its network for spyware on a daily basis. BigFix AntiPest automatically eliminates spyware that it discovers during these scans. The AntiPest software also stays current on new types of spyware as it emerges on the Internet through automatic updates to spyware definition files forwarded to Dade Schools by BigFix.

The AntiPest software and the BigFix Agent run on individual PCs. The BigFix Agent manages actions taken by the AntiPest package and reports PC status information in real-time back to the BigFix Console hosted by a central server, providing administrators up-to-the-minute security and compliance status of every computer running a BigFix Agent. In addition to anti-spyware capabilities, the BigFix Enterprise Suite offers a single platform for managing multiple security configuration management functions including software patch and update, vulnerability detection and remediation, asset inventory, software usage and licensing, and compliance reporting.

Miami-Dade County Pubic Schools and BigFix Comment

"The fact that we have 70,000 computers on our network demonstrates that computers are not just lab equipment, but integrated into the educational program at Dade Schools. Exposing our kids to spyware is simply not an option," said Tom Sims, director of networks, Miami-Dade County Public Schools. "We acquired BigFix AntiPest based on our positive experience with other BigFix products and have been pleased at the results. We not only have effectively expelled spyware from Dade Schools, but believe we can keep it off campus as new spyware threats evolve."

"AntiPest is one of several security configuration management capabilities available through the BigFix Enterprise Suite platform," said Dave Robbins, president and CEO of BigFix. "The ability to provide multiple security and operations management functions from a single infrastructure and control point not only gives the BigFix Enterprise Suite a cost-effectiveness advantage, but it brings an interdisciplinary, consolidated approach to security management that strengthens overall security postures."

About BigFix, Inc.

Founded in 1997, BigFix is the category leader in security configuration management software, services, and solutions for real-time visibility and control of computers across the distributed enterprise. BigFix solutions are proven in production at more than 500 companies, government agencies and public sector institutions worldwide and currently manage over 5.6 million desktop and mobile clients, workstations, and servers. The company has received numerous awards and industry recognitions, including the 2005 Codie award for "Best Security Product," the SC Magazine "Product of the Year" recognition in 2004, and eWeek's "Analyst's Choice" award. For more information, visit www.bigfix.com.

AntiPest, BigFix and the BigFix logo are trademarks of BigFix, Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks are property of their respective owners.