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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.'"
So you're telling me that the spyware company True Active is given kudos for deciding not to send trojans out to the public anymore?
That's like saying Jeffrey Dahmer should get kudos for not killing anyone anymore.
It's more or less the same thing that happens with a Microsoft EULA. You agree to it, so it's not illegal anymore. I'd be curious to see what would happen to a virus writer who included a EULA with his next e-mail worm. Since mostly stupid people open those e-mail attachments anyway, a little box popping up with "OK" and "Cancel" and a license agreement might be a nice little legal loophole.
Please be advised that I am not advocating the wanton destruction and/or infection of Microsoft systems. They'll do so on their own if you watch 'em long enough.
IAALS.
My sister got broadband for her windows PC. Comcast gave her a cd with the instructions "pop this in your computer and your broadband will work". So she did.
It reconfigured the network settings so the broadband *did* work-but it also changed a bunch of stuff such as the IE icon, the title of IE "Microsoft Explorer-provided by comcast", bringing up popups and breaking the browser at random moments: which was all small stuff. The thing I worry[d] about was strange proccess's running..which could be anything, because my sister gets taken in by those "YOUR COMPUTER IS BROADCASTING AN IP ADDRESS" popups.
She never signed anything, never clicked "yes", it was all autorun.
"The most looniest, zaniest, spontaneous, sporadic Impulsive thinker, compulsive drinker, addict"
An employer has every right to monitor the usage of their computers and their network, just as they can go through your desk if they want. With very few exceptions, they don't have a right to look at your home pc. (For instance, if you work for a defense/intelligence organization as a government employee or a government contractor, you must consent to additional priovacy intrusions.)
Likewise, you can monitor what anyone else does on your computer.
The issue here is that the company in question made software that could easily be installed on machines that you don't own. They reduced that potential, and should be lauded for it.
Okay granted, the "users give consent in some form to spyware" but you and I both know that in reality, most users are completely unaware that they have done so. It's just a form of social engineering or misdirection.... just like the magician who gets you to look that-a-way for the split second it takes to pull the pigeon out of his sleeve.
That being said, I will conceede that an AV company might just get itself embroiled in a lot of lawsuits exploring that very issue... not a really great way to stay profitable.
The Digital Sorceress
Any software installed on your computer should be explicitly installed. It is wrong that rights are given away by an EULA. Most folks don't read the license agreement, they just want to use the software they bought. Most folks don't have a lawyer to advise them on the intricacies of the contract (so called) they have just entered in to.
People do have a choice to use free software, but most are not aware of this choice. It's a consumer market and sadly, the market for computer software needs some oversight to provide consumer protection. Oh, if only the average consumer would wake up and vote with their wallet! What has recently happened with TurboTax is a good example of what could happen with other products.
www.mikesmind.com - www.daddyworkathome.com - www.freetofarm.org - www.tenfoottable.com
> I say find the people spying on me, and stop them. Isn't that what the FBI/CIA/NSA are for?
No, their job is to ensure that the rich get richer. They're more likely to throw you in jail for calling attention to the spyware than they are to throw the spiers in jail. Computer "terror" laws notwithstanding.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
I don't much care what the current buzzwords are. If we don't cut to the heart of the beast and show that the entire business is nothing but gross invasion of privacy EVERY TIME a new hack / bug / feature is created we will eventually accept these invasions as the standard.
If a law required you to take a spoon full of cod liver oil before each and every DVD purchase (and one for each DVD), sooner or later we would either revolt or be up to our ears in S**T.
I don't like the private sector engaging in this market and I certainly want the public sector carefully reviewed by the judicial branch for every use - wiretap / spyware whatever.
If we don't fight now, we won't be able to fight later. As it is the technology fairly well precludes anonymous surfing (my IP address can, under many circumstances, be traced to the ethernet card in any computer I'm using) and where my ethernet card is built in (laptops) I can't hide that hardware address.
The Pentium may have had the serial number shut off - but it and other CPUs have hardware serials. As the operating systems and applications become much more complex and create layer upon layer of hardware and code, the ease of exploiting the complexity of these machines will increase as well.
Anything connected becomes a spy device. Orwell didn't miss it by many years.