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Anti-Spyware Vendor Partners with Spyware Company?

Posted by michael on from the safe-spyware-bwah-hah-hah dept.

Tuxedo Jack writes "eWeek reports that the anti-spyware vendor Aluria Software has partnered with WhenU of 'WhenUSave' and 'SaveNow' infamy. They've removed WhenU from their spyware/malware definition lists, certified their applications as safe, and they deny that money was involved. As a result, SpywareInfo and many other anti-spyware sites are delisting Aluria's 'Spyware Eliminator' from their lists of preferred software. Is this a dangerous trend for anti-spyware? Or are we just witnessing a natural evolution? I sure hope it's neither - I like my Windows boxes junkware-free, thanks (oxymoron noted)."

19 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. like anti virus companies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    reminds me of the age old question of whether anti virus companies created virii just to keep their own operations alive.

    1. Re:like anti virus companies by null+etc. · · Score: 5, Interesting

      This "age old" question is perhaps the stupidest conspiracy theory I've ever heard. Corporations go to great lengths to avoid lawsuits, and I can't imagine that any successful antivirus company would risk losing all of their money in a class action lawsuit by pulling such a stupid move. Why would an antivirus corporation risk writing viruses? There are plenty of socially stunted 15 year olds to do that.

      BTW the pural of "virus" is "viruses". Look it up on google.

  2. If you think this is bad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Symantec's upcoming "Sobig aint so bad" campaign promises to really ruffle feathers. I smell a payoff.

  3. Been there, done that by blowdart · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How is different from virus vendors stopping reporting on "corporate" keyloggers?

  4. "(oxymoron noted)" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Gee, thanks for pointing that out, for a second there I thought Slashdot was promoting a Micro$oft product (you see, I substituted a dollar sign the "S", I'm FUNNY!)

  5. WhenUGetSued... by LostCluster · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One problem that these anti-spyware programs are bound to run into is claims that a "spyware" program is a "legitimate business to consumer marketing connection enabler" by its makers. Afterall, in most cases the user has "agreed" to allow these programs to run by installing something without fully reading the terms of service.

    That may be the reason why this group caved... not that money changed hands, but the threat of a lawsuit was waived around.

    1. Re:WhenUGetSued... by lordkuri · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That may be the reason why this group caved... not that money changed hands, but the threat of a lawsuit was waived(sic) around.

      ah yes... free market indeed... as long as you have enough money, you can wave some papers at another company, and intimidate them into submission. We really need something to hold these companies (and their lawyers) accountable for this kind of crap.

      -lk

    2. Re:WhenUGetSued... by kawika · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Show me your proof that "in most cases the user has 'agreed' to allow these programs to run." I can certainly find proof to the contrary.

      Take a look at these screen shots of the Bearshare install that includes WhenU and tell me it is reasonable to expect a user to press page-down 45 times to read the license.

      Users are not aware they are running WhenU because the company works hard to keep them ignorant.

  6. Lavasoft too by hoborocks · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This happened with lavasoft too, right? They started some consortium on spyware and then left it when it was evident that evil practices were going on... Perhaps there needs to be a legal definition of spyware before vendors will keep constant as to their aims? The problem is with defining it is that the somewhat arbitrary nature that's necessary will backfire and be abused *cough cough DMCA cough cough*.

    --
    AccountKiller
  7. not a new trend. by exhilaration · · Score: 5, Insightful
    This sounds a lot like when Microsoft allowed certain paid spammers to avoid Hotmail's spam filters.

    Solution: stick to vendors that can be trusted. Use Spybot and Ad-Aware.

    1. Re:not a new trend. by FatherKabral · · Score: 5, Interesting

      http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic =44037 Check this thread out from Lavasoft's own forums..."Hotbar" and "not a threat"...used in the same context? That's like using "not evil" to describe "Satan"!!! Perhaps Lavasoft is another one getting ready to sell out...?

  8. as unimportant as Aluria may seem.... by wo1verin3 · · Score: 5, Informative

    (and for those that don't RTFA) .... they are the backend behind AOL's anti-spyware application which is means potentially millions of users are affected by this.

  9. Profitability by fembots · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wasn't it not long ago we had this story about Yahoo Anti-Spy Favors Yahoo's Adware Partners?

    I think in long run, anti-badthings services are going to be influenced by the bottom line. Spyware/spammers can make enough to feed themselves and pay for these services to 'certify' them.

    As end-users, we need to be educated to prevent these installations in the first place.

    --
    Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
  10. Open Source Anti-Spyware by LegendOfLink · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Does this mean the only anti-spyware solution we can trust is or should be open source?

    I would think yes.

    Anybody else?

    --
    IGB: More fun than eating oatmeal!
  11. Aluria... who? by g_adams27 · · Score: 5, Informative


    Can't say I've ever heard of Aluria's Spyware Eliminator. I've got my triumvirate of anti-spyware tools, and I'm satisfied:

    No need to limit yourself to just one, either - run all three!

  12. Risk of corporate keyloggers. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I used to run a pretty big e-commerce site, and had a customer who'se credit card info was stolen off of one of those "corporate keyloggers".

    Apparently the keylogs weren't secure and someone inside the company stole his credit card info when he made a (work related) purchase from Amazon.com on his own credit card.

    If you're at work and not using your own laptop or a Knoppix disk, make sure you only use a corporate credit card when ordering online.

    Personally I think he should have sued his employer, but he wanted to keep his job.

  13. fake anti-adaware by Andr0s · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bah.

    Since I started using adaware tools, I learned I could rely only on Spybot and Ad-Aware. Obviously, many others noticed their reliability too - just try googling for either of two, and see how many pages you can find with fake installers - some sites even distribute AdAware installations with modified malware definitions and crippled update, so your AdAware might even refuse to detect malware on your PC.

    To me, it all smells so familiar... Just as M$ loves to force, bribe, coax or cajole software producers into specialising their products for Windows compatibility, so do too the malware distributers seek their fifth collumn... Similarities are far from passing.

    --
    '...computers in the future may have only 1000 vacuum tubes and perhaps weigh 1.5 tons...' Popular Mechanics, 03/49'
  14. WhenU is certainly malware by dtfinch · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've caught shareware sites bundling my software with WhenU malware, without my permission, and without giving clear indications to users, causing problems for my customers and endangering my reputation.

    I consider any program that sits in the background and pops up ads while the bundled application is not running to be unwanted malware.

  15. Re:Dangerous Trend by erick99 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I use Adaware SE and SpyBot which I run manually once a week, each. I have Webroot's Spy Sweepter which stays in memory and provides a good level of "live" detection. Between the three programs it has been a long time since I've had a adware/spyware program on my desktop. However, it has only been through the use of all three that I have gotten to this point. I haven't found a program that will accomplish this by itself, either free or for fee. PC Magazine ran a comparison of spyware removal programs recently and came to about the same conclusion. They did rate AdAware SE as the best program, though.

    --
    http://www.busyweather.com/