PDA

View Full Version : Spyware !



harbormaster
04-24-2004, 06:10 PM
For many years, the big problem has been software viruses written by malicious hackers finding their way into our personal computers to set up shop with their own agendas. But today we face a new and even more insidious threat:

Internet companies, whose apparent "business model" is the exploitation of consumer trust and ignorance, are sneaking their spyware systems into our machines for their own purposes.

What is Spyware?

Spyware is ANY SOFTWARE which employs a user's Internet connection in the background (the so-called "backchannel") without their knowledge or explicit permission.

The news media has carried many stories about Real Networks who were reportedly caught 'red handed' secretly profiling their users' listening habits, Aureate/Radiate and Conducent Technologies whose advertising, monitoring, and profiling software sneaks into our machines without our knowledge or permission, Comet Cursor which secretly tracks our web browsing, GoHip who hijacks our web browser and alters our eMail signatures . . . and many other hopeful and exploitive newcomers on the horizon.

When confronted with their actions, such companies invariably say "read the fine print, what we're doing is spelled out there and the user agreed." That's odd, if the users understood and agreed, I wonder why those users are so surprised and upset when someone tells them — in plain language — exactly what's going on?

Anonymous Surveillance for Profit

Online profiling & tracking "privacy statements", and backchannel "spyware" license agreements, invariably adopt identical cop-out terminology. They state that "no personally identifiable information" is being collected. It has been shown that in many instances this is an outright lie in itself, but even when, or if, it is true, I submit that these "identity stealing profilers" are nonetheless profiting from valuable information that has been stolen from us without our informed consent.

You can do something about it

Download Spybot (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=mirrors) or Adaware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) and install these on your system!!

Ask Scot Pearson how much these suck!

If anyone needs any help with this let me know.

ChromeGorilla
04-24-2004, 06:53 PM
Great information Scott. I have been using Spybot for a while now and really like it. Best part is totaly free. If ya don't have it Scott is right, grab SpyBot or Adaware.

gcarter
04-24-2004, 07:05 PM
Thanks HM!

George

Brad Lyon
04-24-2004, 09:25 PM
I am really anal about this stuff. In addition to the two that Scot mentioned I also run Spyware Blaster (http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/) every day. It is another free program. And it catches things that the other two do not catch.

Brad

boldts
04-28-2004, 11:34 PM
Brad,

when I ran Spybot, the Spyware automatic update was listed as a problem. Here is what it said.

Company: TrekBlue
Product: SpywareNuker
Threat: Adware/Possible spyware/Malware

Company URL: http://www.trekblue.com/
Company product URL: http://www.spywarenuker.com/

Functionality
Supposed spyware removal utility.

Description
Heavily advertisement by spam (unsolisicited email advertisement); phoning home on program start; silently installing updates and content (meaning advertisement) into your system. Those applications may even come from third parties. No limitation is made about this 'value-added' content, meaning the license allows them to install any spyware into your system without your knowledge. In addition, using the program isn't safe - LSP hijackers get removed, but the Winsock not fixed so you would loose your internet connections. Uses a stolen Spybot-S&D database and is therefore a copyright infringement.

Privacy Statement
4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF VALUE-ADDED APPLICATIONS
You acknowledge that the "Trek Blue" Program(s) include technology which allows "Trek Blue" to provide updates to the software directly to your computer. Additionally, you acknowledge that you wish to receive software and technology as updates at the discretion of "Trek Blue" for the purposes of complimenting or enhancing the "Trek Blue" Program(s). By installing, downloading, copying, updating or otherwise using the "Trek Blue" Program(s), you specifically agree to include and/or accept the noted software and technology through which "Trek Blue", its subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, divisions, and clients provide value-added upgrades and applications to your computer. You acknowledge that you desire to receive value added applications, if any, from "Trek Blue", its subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, divisions, and clients. You acknowledge that you desire to receive value-added content and applications as a condition to using the "Trek Blue" Program(s).

Competition between the 2 companys or is just this part of Spyware a problem? I decided to disable the auto update option.

harbormaster
04-29-2004, 05:37 AM
Are you sure you installed spybot? Ther IS a fake one circulating out there. remove it and install Ad-Aware by lavasoft.

boldts
04-29-2004, 12:52 PM
Thanks Scot. I used the link you had here, but maybe got redirected once there. I'll uninstall tonight and try again this time going to the Adaware website. I don't know, looked like the real thing and listed a bunch of dangers when ran. Funny thing I noticed was that the Spyware automatic update was listed but not my Norton Pro auto update which I currently have running also. Seems to me if one is no good, the other should be no good also?

I'm just hoping the fake version didn't delete parts I actually needed.

CnV & Family
04-29-2004, 02:44 PM
I use:

SpyBot - Search and Destroy
SpywareBlaster
AND Popup Manager (http://www.endpopups.com/index.html)

It's a great addition to spyware tools, although not in the same category... It's a freebee for personal use, is unobtrusive, and does a good job in my opinion...

Just remember to check for updates for _all_ software on a regular basis!

-CnV & Family

LGMAZ
04-29-2004, 04:01 PM
Run both Spybot and Adaware and update often. There are some adware/spyware out there such as coolwebsearch that constantly change to defeat these programs. Some variants can actually prevent them from working altogether. I've encountered one that hijacks your browser and populates search results from common search engines (yahoo, google, etc.) with their own results. Nasty stuff. In my opionion this is way worse than spam.