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McAfee lists Adware in Top 10 Viruses
joelethan writes "In the new sensitive, caring world of Windows security McAfee Virusscan detects adware/malware, just like its competitors. A surprising consequence is that the McAfee's Regional Virus Info now regularly shows adware in its infection top ten. It feels so good to see old favorites like 180Search and DFC listed. "Now for your listening pleasure it's Adware.Gator at number 7 with a bullet..."
"
ADWare is actually a secret conspiracy from the guys who make tums to capture a whole new generation of geeks..
Geek: "Helpdesk, how can I help you?"
Hapless Worker Drone: "I have all these funny ads that keep popping up!"
Geek: "Did you install that nifty new weather bug, or that 'Gator' thing?"
Hapless Worker Drone: "I didn't install anything! This is your fault! You guys are supposed to protect us!"
Geek: "See that socket over there? It's the automatic anti human virus protecter, stick your finger in and call me in an hour"
"It's not stealing if you don't get caught!"
1) Switch to better web browser that dosen't have activeX spyware infecting it
2)Destroy spyware
3)Switch to a secure operating system.
4) ???
5) Profit, by not having to waste time with viruses!
However, Netsky still completely wipes the floor with the adware. Over 10 times as many instances of Netsky were discovered than Gator.
liqbase
But when will the financial geniuses at Symantec decide to start exacting a "fee" to spyware vendors to remove their malware from the list????
I know not of this "Claria" company, but they sound like a bunch of upstanding folks. Not like those Gator bastards... man I'd like to see them strung up. Hooray for Claria !
Because there are still people who don't know:
Ad-Aware
Search & Destroy
To keep your pc running fast and without too many crashes..
It's not spyware, it's a virus! McAfee says so.
..it was recognised for what it is. Here, in the UK, such software falls foul of the Computer Misuse Act (which is due for an update). Personally, I already spend far too much time removing Adware, Spyware, BHOs, et cetera from Windows machines, especially at one site, where they seem to actually think CoolWebSearch really is cool.
This is a good move, currently I'm helping my mom's next door neighbor trouble shoot her Dell...1000 miles away! My mom has dial up, but her computer is just chocked by viruii and adware. She's new to the internet, so she thinks if she just does whatever she'll be ok.
Also, the McAfee trial she was using didn't catch much, I suppose she didn't have updated pattens, but with a dial up, is it possible/easy to get updates?
I'm leaning on her to get Broadband, and then let me put Linux on that Dell...
CB_)EW____>>>
free ipod and free gmail!
Companies that change names to a made-up word usually need to be given a closer look... they usually have soiled their first name so badly they can't use it anymore.
While not exactly *required* as AdAware and SpyBot are it is certainly a nice addition to the list.
SpywareBlaster
I would have posted AC to avoid the karmawhoring but Slashdot isn't allowing my subnet to post anonymously anymore. So blame them for the "Continual Karmawhoring".
>..let's stick to some realism.
Yes, let us.
>Unlike viruses, the user has to actually install them (though that may involve just clicking "yes" in IE).
No, that's wrong. You can get spyware just by visiting a website, which then exploits your browser to install whatever they want to install.
I wouldn't call that "the user has to actually install [it]". I'd call that viral behaviour (even though the installed software doesn't live off a host file or process).
Again; no clicking "yes" required.
Belief is the currency of delusion.
I dont blame them on microsoft. I never said that. But spyware and virus problem is there, you cant deny that..
Only if you don't know what you are doing. I've been running XP for two years, and not one virus, or spyware, and pretty minimal effort on my part.
The problem is there, no denying, but the solution is way. What is more, it isn't windows specific anyway. Keeping your machine in order and secure is something you should be doing on any OS.
Magic Lantern, carnivore, omnivore...
So how do you keep the feds from snooping you?
Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
Could companies be prosecuted for exploiting bugs and vulnerabilities to install their garbage on people's machines? I don't know how many reinstalls I've went through, forgot to turn off the fifteen different settings in IE, and ended up with webpages spamming my desktop and taskbar as hard as they could by going to a seemingly harmless website, or mistyping the name of a popular website.
I recently fixed someone's computer that had so much spyware, it was running like a 66MHz machine on Windows 98SE. They were using a 2.5GHz with 512MB of RAM. The start button would take three seconds of griding to hit, and hitting it made three or four spam windows pop up, mostly about gambling, porn, or pills.
Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
Gator beats any virus in infestation rate if you look at the more relevant statistics.
Lalala
I wonder how much money McAfee spent in legal advice before doing this... I wonder how long before the spyware vendors sue, saying that their software performs a valuable service, as shown by the fact that users deliberately and knowingly install it...
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
Joe Six-Pack is finally getting a sense for these things, which is a great step. I recently started working for a net marketing company, and I'm amazed by the volume of flaming emails we get from people across the country saying that they will take us to court when they find the single cookie we put on their machine. There is also a lot of talk of pushing their congressmen to make our 'spyware' actions illegal.
I love this. It would be nice if people were more educated on this (and knew the difference between a viral program and an inert string of text that they have set their browser to allow), but it's a huge start. Detecting these programs as viruses is wonderful - it raises awareness levels. And the first step to legislation is enough people telling their congressmen. Remember, a phone call or letter is worth hundreds of constituient votes.
Four years ago when I first came across Gator, I considered taking apart their offices with a bat and a black ski mask. But I lived on the wrong coast. Now I might finally see them go to jail some day, and their cell mates will do far worse things to some scrawny coders than I ever could. But that will only happen if you contact your congresscritter. So do it.
What was it Phillip Morris (Tobacco co.) changed its name to? Altria?
This is also a common practice in the adapted (as in, for the disabled) vehicle industry; most (not all) vendors do crappy work, overcharge, then change their names and/or move/disincorporate/reincorporate every few years to avoid bad PR and lawsuits. It's a very disgusting industry. And if you want to be independent, there's no real choice - it's them or nothing.
I figured you guys would love this...
The firm i worked at up until recently decided to do some "sponsored marketing" thru Claria/Gator. I tried to preach their evils to the marketing department, but my protesting fell on deaf ears. A few weeks later, one of the marketing folks called me into his office because he was having terrible troubles with I.E. Turns out, as expected his lappie was riddled with spyware, w/ Gator/Claria products being the chief offender. When he asked what the major problem was, and I showed him the ad-aware, hijack this, and spybot entries w/ gator/claria all over them - i think he finally realized. The initial short term advertising contract wasn't renewed, or so i hear.
If more comapnies knew how bad these apps are, and what problems they created, maybe they wouldn't want their services and products advertised in this manner.
When is somebody going to step up to the plate and sue these companies for defacing personal property? They get away with it every day and there are laws against it. Plain and simple they are destroying people's property without their permission, at least not any signatures that would hold up in court. All it will take is for one company to sue these companies, and others will follow...at least our company will!
If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be fucked up. - Comedian Mitch Hedberg R.I.P. 03/30/68-2/24/05
The problem with Adware/Spyware/whatever isn't so much the invasion of privacy part. After all, in most cases, you did click accept at some point. That's what happens when you need your pr0nzor or bikini calendar so much that you don't care where it comes from, you deserve it. The problem is the lousy implimentation of the invasion of privacy.
I helped a friend diagnose his constantly crashing computer remotely one time and found that he had over 18,000 individual copies of some type of CoolWeb in his Windows\System folder.
The real problem isn't with New.net hijacking and sending people to other domains; the real problem is when their software breaks and you can't use any TCP/IP related applications until you find someone with some technical know-how to fix it.
These bastards should be liable for this sort of thing. Actually, they probably are.
I keep forgetting my place. Jesus is for losers. Why do I still play to the crowd?