Google Buys Anti-Malware Security Startup

J Tomas writes "Google has quietly made its first anti-malware acquisition, snapping up GreenBorder Technologies, a venture-backed company that sells browser virtualization security software. GreenBorder's software creates a DMZ (demilitarized zone) between the Windows desktop and programs downloaded from Web pages or opened from e-mail messages in Microsoft Outlook. The early speculation is that Google will add the sandbox technology to the Google Toolbar or release a rebranded version as a standalone download."

Comments

Malevolence

[Anonymous Coward]

Evil or not evil? Hmm...

Thanks...

[Anonymous Coward]

GreenBorder's software creates a DMZ (demilitarized zone) between the Windows desktop and programs downloaded from Web pages or opened from e-mail messages in Microsoft Outlook.

Dear GreenBorder,

Thank you for doing work we should have done years ago.
Unfortunately this level of work requires considerable resources
which would drive down our bottom line and
shareholder confidence.

William Gates III
Microsoft Corporation

ALERT! ALERT!

[LiquidCoooled]

Harry Kim: "Borg Attack!"
Janeway: "Raise shields"
Paris: "Its no good, they have adapted, they are firing sunloungers"

virtualization DMZ..

[rs232]

When did Linux steal this innovative technology and rename it chroot.

Marketingspeak: DMZ vs. Sandbox...

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

GreenBorder's software creates a DMZ (demilitarized zone) between the Windows desktop and programs downloaded from Web pages or opened from e-mail messages in Microsoft Outlook. The early speculation is that Google will add the sandbox technology to the Google Toolbar or release a rebranded version as a standalone download.

So...is it like the plain old Java sandbox?

"But in my tests, some minor spyware modifications, such as desktop shortcuts and new menus, did make it to the underlying host. GreenBorder says this is because the malware mimicked a normal user's modifications too closely, as compared with most malware's programmatic accesses. Still, the fact that malware can modify the host desktop at all means there are other potential weaknesses." --http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/03/18/12TCgr eenborder_1.html

Hmmm...I guess not. GreenBorder's "sandbox" appears to have some pretty big holes.

Re:Marketingspeak: DMZ vs. Sandbox...

[rs232]

Wouldn't that suck .. For fuck's sake, just stop using Windows

Well yea, but the average Windows wouldn't notice. And the average non technical user flies in to a technological panic when confronted with anything new. For instance a writer who is still on Wordperfect on Windows 98. She copies and pastes into her email prog to send, otherwise her clients can't read the doc .. :)

Did I mention the one who has msWord set at 75% zoom and the fonts at 20, as she never learned to adjust the font size. At print out she selects 'reduce by 60%' ..

Neo-security Methodology

[Nymz]

1) Install every anti-virus, firewall, virtual sandbox DMZ, and toolbar that you can.
2) Sustain 99% CPU usage.
3) Protected!

I guess a newb submitted this

[paulevans]

Since when do slashdoters need to be informed that DMZ is short for "demilitarized zone".