Spyware Effects

In reviewing the categories that Blue Coat offers in its URL database, one of the categories looked to be unique to Blue Coat, and has a name that might be a little confusing if you don't know what it means. Blue Coat has a category called "Spyware Effects/Privacy Concerns". It's not triggered as you might imagine when an end-user tries to go to a site that contains spyware or malware (instead "Spyware/Malware Sources" is used for that)

"Spyware Effects" refers to when a workstation or PC attempts to go to a site that is known for collecting personal and private information or a site known for sending out instructions to a botnet. The purpose of this category is to alert the IT admin to the possible existence of infected workstations or PCs that have spyware, malware and may have been compromised and are now part of a botnet/zombie net.

It also allows the IT admin to set policy to prevent the compromised PC or workstation from sending out possibly private or confidential information out of the network, as well as preventing the PC or workstation from performing possibly illegal operations.

This is a unique and valuable category and one I'm surprised that I've only found in one proxy vendor's offering.