Lefatshe Technologies, the South African black-owned security solutions provider, has been appointed as Webroot`s exclusive distributor in sub-Saharan Africa, bringing to market SpySweeper, the company`s anti-spyware and anti-adware product.
Lefatshe has already successfully sold and implemented 40 000 licences to government through SITA (South Africa`s State Information Technology Agency); and departments currently using SpySweeper include the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Administration and SITA itself.
"More than 130 different security breaches during 2005, exposing more than 55 million users to a wide range of illegal activities such as identify theft, have resulted in analysts branding it one of the worst years ever for data security losses," says Cheslyn Mostert, chairperson of Lefatshe.
"During 2005, Webroot identified more than 400 000 sites that host spyware alone. There is clearly a need for software that can address the spyware and adware problem, particularly as the larger anti-virus products are not equipped to detect the smaller, yet as dangerous, malware (malicious ware) applications. SpySweeper enables organisations and individuals alike to launch effective protection against today`s Internet threats."
In terms of the agreement, Lefatshe is responsible for marketing, sales, maintenance and support of SpySweeper, while Webroot will manage business focus groups and conferences for the region.
"While financial institutions and individuals are constantly under threat of fraud and identity theft, there is a second, equally serious issue raised by the presence of malware - bandwidth reduction," Mostert says. "Malware devours bandwidth in its efforts to constantly connect to its home site, resulting in extensive system degradation. Illustrating this point, IBM has reported that 30% of the calls made to its help-desk regarding system crashes were the direct result of malware. Spyware and adware are best avoided, and SpySweeper provides the means to successfully do this."
Lefatshe operates a 24x7x365 call centre in Bryanston and offers a Basic and a Gold support service package for SpySweeper.
Share
Lefatshe Technologies is a South African black-owned company providing best-of-breed IT security solutions for the southern African market through partnerships with the world`s leading software companies. Backed by experienced and highly qualified technical resources, Lefatshe aims to deliver focused solutions and service to a client base exceeding 450 companies. It counts many government departments and blue-chip companies among its clients and partners. The company is the sole authorised distributor of Webroot SpySweeper for the sub-Saharan African region and is a Symantec Security Services partner. Lefatshe also offers radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions through its subsidiary i-Tag, distributes the wireless LAN security and operation support solution AirDefense and a Web filtering solution, SurfControl.
Editorial contacts