Case Study: Webroot Software

Case Study: Webroot Software
Creating the State of Spyware Report

Challenge: By January 2005, spyware had achieved a significant degree of notoriety. The majority of the computing world including journalists, consumers and corporations possessed a general understanding of the effects of spyware and the motivations behind the criminals that develop and distribute it. The public, especially the media, was getting the message that spyware was a dangerous Internet security threat, but statistics and data on the proliferation and pervasiveness of the spyware problem were limited. It was obvious that the anti-spyware industry lacked a true resource for information on the proliferation and severity of the spyware problem. 


Strategy: 104 West regarded this void as an opportunity to further cement Webroot’s leadership position. As such, we recommended that Webroot become the single industry resource on spyware by evaluating the state of the industry, developing analysis around statistics the company uncovered and delivering a report on this information.


Results: In May 2005, Webroot Software released the anti-spyware industry’s first comprehensive report on spyware: The State of Spyware Report, an in-depth review and analysis of the impact of spyware, adware and unwanted software on consumers and enterprises. The foundation for much of the analysis and trends reporting came from Webroot’s consumer and corporate SpyAudit tools and from online research culled by Phileas, Webroot’s automated spyware research system. The SpyAudit tools invite both consumers and enterprises to scan specific PCs and determine spyware infection levels.

Included in the report was concise data on the pervasiveness of adware and the rise of system monitors throughout 2004 and for the first quarter of 2005. The report indicated that the spyware industry was generating billions of dollars in annual revenue and represented a substantial portion of overall online advertising spending. 


The response from the media was phenomenal. 104 West secured over 1,000 media hits across every medium including top-tier business press, technology press, consumer press, radio and broadcast outlets. Webroot’s CEO was invited to testify before the United States Senate to present the report’s findings and New York’s Attorney General’s Office referenced the report in both of its groundbreaking lawsuits against spyware companies.


Following the resounding success of the first report, 104 West and Webroot decided to release the report on a quarterly-basis. Today, journalists, lawmakers, enterprises and consumers have come to regard The State of Spyware Report (today known as the State of Internet Security Report) as the “Spyware Bible” and Webroot as the undisputed leader in spyware research and protection.