Trusteer offers 'no install' malware detection

Security firm Trusteer has extended its web access protection line-up with a new service called Pinpoint that detects the presence of malware on endpoints, without the need for any software running on the endpoint itself.

Trusteer's products are primarily used by companies in the financial sector to prevent malware from stealing credentials or other sensitive information when customers access their web site. Customers in the UK include HSBC, Santander, RBS and ING Direct.

The firm's existing Rapport product puts an agent on customer endpoints that secures the web browser and detects any attempts to intercept keyboard input or web communications. It also communicates with server software at the bank site to capture information about any malware attacks, which is fed into a cloud-based database.

Pinpoint builds on Rapport's capabilities, but extends detection to cover even endpoints that do not have a Rapport agent installed. It does this by using the cloud database to spot specific malware behaviour.

"We put a sensor on the bank's web site, and this detects specific behaviours in incoming traffic from endpoints," explained Trusteer vice president of products, Yaron Dycian.

"It sends the behavioural signature it picks up to the cloud, which compares them with the database and sends back a response telling the server whether that endpoint is infected or not."

According to Trusteer, Pinpoint currently achieves an 80 per cent detection rate, but more importantly has so far had zero false positives.

"Now you have a mechanism to know if someone approaching your web site is infected, and you can detect it on the spot and choose what action to take," Dycian said.

These actions could include blocking the login and displaying a message asking the customer to contact a call centre, or re-directing the browser to a download page so that a user can install Rapport, which will block the malware.

Trusteer is hoping to win a wider customer base with Pinpoint. Dycian said it will initially appeal to firms doing financial transactions online, including e-commerce, but could also be used to protect sensitive web-based applications in enterprise environments.

Pinpoint licensing starts at $10,000 (£6,222) per year for up to 300 users.