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Spyware Coming Under Scrutiny
trick-knee writes "Nytimes.com has an article considering the ethics of snoopware. In it, TrueActive is given positive press for removing a 'feature called "silent deploy", which allows the buyer to place the program on someone else's computer secretly via e-mail, without having physical access to the machine', although little criticism is made for making the stuff in the first place. Supposedly, Symantec and Network Associates have added features to their antivirus programs that detect snoopware, which may be a good thing. One surprising point you may be shocked to hear is that 'at least one program... may not pose a real threat of spying, at least. Mr. Gordon said that his company's security researchers, working with the Justice Department, were unable to find any actual working software that could be downloaded from the LoverSpy site after paying the fee. He seemed less than stunned by the notion that a product advertised via spam might not be all that it was claimed to be.'"
For those who hate registering, here's the google news link.
Google Link to story
It's a pain in the neck, but for those occassions when I really need (or want) to use a piece of software containing spyware I run a virtual PC. I've got a few Virtual PC images on my machine, one for BeOS, one for WinXP, a couple of Win2003 test servers, etc - if I'm going to run a piece of software that I either know or suspect to be risky, I just run it up on my test WinXP box.
It's usually adequate for most apps, virtualisation software has come a long way in the last year or two.
Check out Connectix Virtual PC (now owned by Microsoft), and VMWare for a couple of good options.
So many IE web users have some sort of spyware/parasite installed (about 10%, based on my web logs) that I finally put up a Spyware Detection and Removal page on an unrelated site, just so I'd have something to refer people to!
If you are serious about privacy, then downloading and installing one of the commercial products (I like Aluria's Spyware Eliminator or the BPS Spyware and Adware Remover the best) is actually worth it. I didn't believe that until I happened to get a free copy of a couple of the commercial versions and found all the features I was missing in the freeware I was using, like a good list of domains and IPs that have been found to have been used by parasites/spyware ready for one-button access denial!
If you just want a "quick" fix that isn't quite as comprehensive (but covers the basics), then hit the Spyware Detection and Removal page above and follow some of the "free scanner" links, or go to one of the commercial sites listed and get their "free" version. I've also tried AdAware, but like most of the other free versions, it didn't seem to pick up as much stuff as my the commercial version of the Aluria software.
Of course, if you aren't running MS Windows, you can pretty much disregard all of the above advice.
The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.