BOSTON -- Sophos, a world leader in IT security, today announced the ability to control employee use of distributed computing applications on corporate networks, following concerns that these programs, such as SETI@Home, can affect network performance. A survey conducted by Sophos shows that distributed computing applications are causing heightened concern among system administrators. Nearly 90 percent of respondents said they want to control usage of such programs on their networks.*

SETI@Home, a scientific experiment that uses millions of computers globally to analyze radio telescope data, is just one of the multiple applications for which businesses can establish a usage policy in the workplace. The SETI program uses networked computing resources that are not in use for complex data-crunching and involves the transmission of information to and from third parties, which can put immense strain on networks and pose security threats.

"Sophos Application Control allows me to block users from running unauthorized instant messaging and peer-to-peer programs without having to roll out any new security software. It's a simple and effective solution to a complicated problem," said Dave Marsh of the Information Security & Telecommunication’s Team at H.J. Heinz. "Controlling what my users can run helps to prevent so many risks, including data leakage and bandwidth hogging, and it also helps to enforce compliance to company security standards."

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