Messaging security specialist CipherTrust has launched a web-based hosted service to help IT administrators spot and shut down zombie PCs on their networks, and protect their companies against online fraud.

CipherTrust Radar uses the vendor’s TrustedSource behaviour-based sender reputation system, which continually tracks and provides reputation scores for IP addresses worldwide.

The system is divided into two modules, and both are available for a monthly or yearly subscription fee. Subscribers to the Radar Inside module can monitor internal IP addresses and domains, view message senders in their organisation and check on any activity that is likely to come from a compromised computer, according to CipherTrust’s European managing director, David Stanley.

“When we say there are some machines that are sending out mail and are likely to be compromised, the [IT administrator] can go back in, secure the infrastructure and lock them down,” he said.

The other module, Radar 360, tracks messages across the internet and then identifies and reports those that are using a client company’s name but do not come from a legitimate source.

Customers can then use the detailed information provided by CipherTrust to report IP addresses from which fraudulent messages have originated, with the aim of having them shut down. “This can comprehensively protect a firm’s reputation in real time from the threat of fraud and phishing,” said Stanley. “It allows the IT manager to show the battle he has [to protect the enterprise] and could help them gain additional budgets.”

Andy Kellet of analyst firm Butler Group welcomed the new offerings, but asked why this type of system had not been marketed before by providers of email protection tools. He called on ISPs to take more responsibility, and use such tools to eradicate zombies.