Slashdot Mirror
Spyware Masquerading as Spyware Removal Software
Cocooner writes "News.com is reporting that some of the anti-spyware/adware software out there is doing more harm than good by acting as double agents. One example is a software package named SpyBan (google cache since the original site has been removed), which happened to be hosted by download.com, accused of installing Look2Me, which monitors and reports web surfing habits. SpyBan was downloaded over 44000 times before it was pulled. How 'low' can they go?"
So was it on Download.com after they started charging for hosting? Was this shareware or freeware? Geek minds want to know!
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
I spend a large portion of my day using Altiris's Notification Server product to identify and remove spyware on computers at work. Believe me, this isn't new and there are *lots* of "spyware removal" apps that come bundled with spyware of their own--I see this crap every day.
although I agree with you on that, there needs to be a ton of changes when it comes to scanning for spyware before I'd recommend any AV app to get rid of spyware.
For example, We're forcing all the students on campus to install F-Secure. At this point I have had 300 of them call or bring in their PC because it keeps telling them their infected with a Virus. What is happening is that it detects one of the spyware files as a virus but leaves the rest of the spyware there. Then the Rest of the spyware happily reinstalles the file that F-secure Deleted, and Repeats the process over and over and over until adaware is run on it.
Until virus scanners get into the act of completely removing a spyware/adware infection (IE Scan the Registry and remove viral entries, Clean all traces of a known Virus, ETC) its not helping out much other then pestering the user until they run spybot on it.
In Soviet Russia, Trojan exploits YOU!