about_spn
The Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ is a next-generation cloud-client content security infrastructure designed to protect customers from web threats. It powers both on-premise and hosted solutions to protect users whether they are on the network, at home, or on the go, using light-weight clients to access its unique in-the-cloud correlation of email, web, and file reputation technologies, as well as threat databases. Customers’ protection is automatically updated and strengthened as more products, services and users access the network, creating a real-time neighborhood watch protection service for its users.
Email Reputation
Trend Micro email reputation technology validates IP addresses by checking them against a reputation database of known spam sources and by using a dynamic service that can assess email sender reputation in real time. Reputation ratings are refined through continuous analysis of the IP addresses' “behavior,” scope of activity and prior history. Malicious emails are blocked in the cloud based on the sender's IP address, preventing threats such as zombies or botnets from reaching the network or the user's PC.
File Reputation
Trend Micro file reputation technology checks the reputation of each file against an extensive in-the-cloud database before permitting user access. Since the malware information is stored in the cloud, it is available instantly to all users. High performance content delivery networks and local caching servers ensure minimum latency during the checking process. The cloud-client architecture offers more immediate protection and eliminates the burden of pattern deployment besides significantly reducing the overall client footprint.
Web Reputation
With one of the largest domain-reputation databases in the world, Trend Micro Web reputation technology tracks the credibility of web domains by assigning a reputation score based on factors such as a website's age, historical location changes and indications of suspicious activities discovered through malware behavior analysis. Web reputation then continues to scan sites and block users from accessing infected ones. To increase accuracy and reduce false positives, Trend Micro Web reputation technology assigns reputation scores to specific pages or links within sites instead of classifying or blocking entire sites, since often, only portions of legitimate sites are hacked and reputations can change dynamically over time.
Smart Feedback
Trend Micro Smart Feedback provides continuous communication between Trend Micro products and the company's 24/7 threat research centers and technologies. Each new threat identified through a single customer's routine reputation check automatically updates all Trend Micro threat databases, blocking any subsequent customer encounters of a given threat. By continuously processing the threat intelligence gathered through its extensive global network of customers and partners, Trend Micro delivers automatic, real-time protection against the latest threats and provides “better together” security, much like an automated neighborhood watch that involves the community in protection of others. Because the threat information gathered is based on the reputation of the communication source, not on the content of the specific communication, the privacy of a customer's personal or business information is always protected.
See also:
Configuring Smart Protection Network Settings