Trusteer
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer security software |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Mickey Boodaei, Rakesh K. Loonkar |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Japan, China) |
| Parent | IBM |
Trusteer operates as a computer security unit headquartered in Boston, functioning under the umbrella of IBM and specializing in security software solutions. Established in Israel in 2006 by founders Mickey Boodaei and Rakesh K. Loonkar, the company was acquired by IBM in September 2013 for approximately $1 billion.
The product lineup developed by Trusteer is designed to combat online dangers such as malware and phishing attempts, while also aiding organizations in meeting regulatory requirements. Its dedicated malware research team processes information gathered from more than 30 million user endpoints along with data from various enterprises.
Trusteer has established a worldwide footprint, maintaining operations across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Japan, and China.
Products
The offerings from Trusteer are engineered to block attacks at their initial access points and to trace their sources, thereby minimizing the risk of future incidents. Additionally, the platform delivers real-time alerts and comprehensive reports to organizations regarding emerging threats targeting them or their clientele.
Trusteer Rapport
Trusteer Rapport is a security application designed to function as an extra defense layer alongside antivirus software, safeguarding sensitive information such as login credentials from malware and phishing threats. It incorporates anti-phishing capabilities and protects against attacks including man-in-the-browser, man-in-the-middle, session hijacking, and screen capture exploits.
Once installed, Rapport works to eliminate existing financial malware on users' devices and helps prevent subsequent infections.
Offered as a browser extension, by March 2020, the Windows edition supports browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer on Windows 7 and newer versions. On macOS, it is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari running on macOS 10.12 (Sierra) or later.
Numerous financial institutions distribute this software free of charge to bolster their customers' online banking security. Banks that currently provide or have previously offered Trusteer Rapport include Bank of America, Société Générale, Tangerine, INGDirect, HSBC, CIBC, BMO, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), Ecobank, Davivienda, and First Republic Bank.
Certain banks have ceased offering the software; for instance, NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland discontinued it in January 2019, attributing the decision to the adoption of more comprehensive security solutions.
Trusteer Pinpoint
Trusteer Pinpoint is a cloud-based platform that allows financial institutions to identify and counteract malware infections, phishing attempts, and account takeovers without requiring endpoint software installation. It analyzes web traffic to verify that external devices accessing corporate networks are free from malware before granting access.
This solution integrates device fingerprinting, proxy detection, and malware identification techniques. When a user infected with malware attempts to access a secured online banking portal, Trusteer Pinpoint identifies the specific infection (for example, "User Steve is infected with Prinimalka-Gozi"), notifies the bank, and marks the credentials as compromised. Consequently, banks can instruct users to install Trusteer Rapport for malware removal. Its Account Takeover Detection feature also fingerprints devices and assesses proxy usage.
Trusteer Mobile Fraud Risk Prevention
The Trusteer Mobile Risk Engine safeguards organizations against mobile-targeted and cross-channel attacks (such as PC-to-mobile threats) by detecting compromised or vulnerable mobile devices infected with malware and preventing account takeovers originating from these devices.
This web-based solution comprises components like the Trusteer Mobile SDK, Mobile App, Out-of-Band Authentication, and Mobile Risk API. Collectively, they offer mobile device fingerprinting, account takeover prevention capabilities, compromised device detection, along with access to an extensive database of known fraudsters.
Trusteer Apex
Trusteer Apex is a security platform engineered to automatically block exploits and malware from compromising endpoints and extracting sensitive information. It incorporates three distinct protective layers: preventing exploits, stopping data leakage, and securing user credentials. Apex ensures that employee login details are only submitted to verified corporate URLs, while also blocking the reuse of company credentials on public websites such as PayPal or Facebook, thereby mandating unique credentials for these platforms to minimize security risks.
Focusing on a limited number of applications—namely Java, Adobe Reader and Flash, and Microsoft Office—Apex addresses those most commonly targeted by exploits. It does not depend on traditional threat signature databases or application whitelists; instead, it continuously monitors application behavior in real time, identifying suspicious activities by leveraging behavioral patterns derived from its extensive user network. Trusteer claims that Apex effectively thwarts web-based attacks exploiting vulnerable software and prevents data breaches by detecting unauthorized attempts to transmit data externally or communicate with command and control servers.
Technical concerns
Users have reported various problems related to Trusteer Rapport, including excessive CPU and memory consumption, conflicts with other security programs, and challenges during uninstallation. The consumer advocacy group Which? discovered that many users encountered browser performance issues such as slowdowns and crashes when using Rapport. They highlighted that banks bear ultimate responsibility for securing online banking transactions and noted that modern browsers already offer phishing site detection capabilities. While recognizing Rapport’s legitimacy, they questioned some of the software’s purported advantages.
At the 2011 44con conference, security researchers demonstrated that bypassing Rapport’s keylogger protection was relatively straightforward; Trusteer later acknowledged this vulnerability had been addressed and emphasized that additional security layers remain functional even if one feature is compromised.
Additionally, Rapport is incompatible with Windows Driver Verifier, which may lead to system instability or Blue Screen errors.
Blue Gem lawsuit
In March 2011, competitor Blue Gem initiated legal action against Trusteer in a California court. Trusteer dismissed these claims as unfounded.