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.'"

Comments

Huh?

[kurosawdust]

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'

Does this sound to anyone else like those annoying people who think they should be rewarded for feeding, clothing and spending time with their children (something they were supposed to do anyway)? Perhaps we can work out some sort of compromise: if you want to make spyware, you have to hire exclusively from the pool of "I took my kid to school! Gimme cookie!" folks.

I predict the market will be dead in weeks.