On the heels of the Sony BMG DRM rootkit fiasco, security software firm McAfee announced on Tuesday that it was beginning a new initiative to raise awareness of malware and its potential threat to consumers and businesses.

According to studies, as many as one-third of those infected by spyware do not know it, and 42 percent have no idea how they were infected.

As part of the initiative, McAfee will offer free 30-day trial copies of its AntiSpyware 2006 product to those who visit the company's Web site.

McAfee will also offer small business users who visit the site an opportunity to download a trial of McAfee VirusScan Plus AntiSpyware, and on December 7 the company will make available to enterprise customers a version of the AntiSpyware product customized for business use.

"The vast majority of people will be unaware that PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) exist on their computers," said Steve Crutchfield, director of product marketing at McAfee. "With this initiative, we hope to educate consumers and small businesses that this is a serious threat, which they must take action against."

In addition, the company plans to host a one-hour live webcast on December 1 for business customers to learn how to better protect their systems from the threats of spyware.