Microsoft Acquires Spyware Removal Company

ack154 writes "Checking for updates on my new favorite spyware removal company, I found that Microsoft has acquired Giant AntiSpyware as of 12/16. I must say that it is very refreshing to see Microsoft finally start to take some serious action to help combat this rampant problem. According to the Giant site, a beta version is expected within one month for Microsoft customers (running Windows 2000 and later, of course)."

Comments

Typical Microsoft

[l810c]

How long has their 'security first' initative been going on? They must not be getting anywhere, because they now have to aquire their security apps.

What percentage of spyware comes in through IE and ActiveX? Seems like they would just fix that. Stop it at the door, don't wait for it to get in and then Try to kill it.

I sure hope they don't start charging for this after the beta. Talk about a conflict of interest. We have this buggy, highly exploitable browser that we do not plan on updating for a couple of years until Longhorn comes out. But in the meantime, you can Buy this program that will maybe help after the fact.

Re:Typical Microsoft

[lordkuri]

I sure hope they don't start charging for this after the beta.

now I'm no lawyer, but isn't that borderline extortion? or maybe racketeering?

Re:Typical Microsoft

[MinutiaeMan]

It seems to me that the basic act of having a free beta testing period for new software, after which fee is charged, is an acceptable, though not entirely aboveboard practice. (After all, you get free use of their software for a time, and they get lots of extra beta testers. Of course, it also could be considered as getting lots of free QA work...)

Of course, in Microsoft's case, the extortion would be forcing customers to buy into their Windows monopoly, and then charging those customers extra money so that their system isn't a buggy piece of sh*t any longer.

And that doesn't even consider the fact that Microsoft distributing an anti-software program will likely put an enormous hurt on every other anti-spyware company out there right now...

Re:Typical Microsoft

[spectre_240sx]

Did anyone else notice that EVERYONE seems to profit here? Besides the end user of course. Microsoft makes bad software and saves money on fixing security holes because they've basically got a captive audience. Advertising companies figure out how to exploit these security holes and generate revenue by throwing computers down the toilet. Anti-Spyware companies profit from getting rid of software exploiting said security holes. Microsoft turns it around fully and purchases Anti-Spyware company for... even more profit!!!

This is why I'm saving up for a PowerMac.

Re:Typical Microsoft

[bogie]

Unfucking believable. And when they run every other anti-spyware company out of business then what? We are stuck with the same company that makes the flaws and then sells us software to protect us from those flaws. Can you say fucking conflict of interest? Design better software, don't sell me a bandaid I have to pay a subscription for.

Re:Typical Microsoft

[Ibanez]

Well, until the average person realizes how crooked this is, its one hell of a business plan. You have to give it to them, they're pretty close to mastering the art of screwing your customers.

Its almost like a drug dealer who also owns the rehab center.

Re:Typical Microsoft

[gad_zuki!]

>Or you could just ask someone who's used Linux online for a little longer than you.

I dont care what OS you are using, if the software you are installing is bundled with spyware then you're "infected."

The problem isn't really technical, although getting rid of the abused and proprietary activeX system would help. Even then the spyware people would just partner up with some free app like they have done with bearshare, limewire, etc.

The problem, as usual is between the keyboard and the chair. Not to mention shady marketing practices and unreadable EULA's.

Buying a company...

[Eggplant62]

Does not a turn-around make. Just because MS sees a possible investment opportunity doesn't mean that this is them taking steps to fix their broken software. Ever think this might just be an attempt to cash in on their problems??

SpyBot still better

[astebbin]

Even so, I still prefer my (free) SpyBot S&D which runs on Windows and Linux.

Re:SpyBot still better

[ticktockticktock]

Maybe some spyware can run in wine?

Re:SpyBot still better

[Chairboy]

I ran Giant anti-spyware a few weeks ago on a system I had just used Ad-Aware and Spybot on, and it found more stuff. Real stuff too, not just cookies from doubleclick. The system was really deeply infested, and Giant got lots of stuff the others didn't.

Have you tried it? Or was your generalization based on assumption?

No way

[AdamTheBastard]

You have got to be kidding me. Rather than make their OS and apps secure and PREVENT spyware... they would rather make money selling another product to CURE the spyware.

How can this be a good thing?

Prevention is always better than cure.

Re:No way

[PocketPick]

Having secure software does prevent spyware (though it goes a long way towards helping it). No doubt, Microsoft will tout this as an application that removes spyware that became present "due to human error" (or at least they would like you to believe that).

Re:No way

[the pickle]

they would rather make money...How can this be a good thing?

I think you just answered your own question.

p

Re:No way

[aldoman]

You might want to see how most spyware gets onto the system.

The vast majority is either installed via 'yes' on spyware dialogs (XP SP2 declines this automatically so they are trying to prevent it) or via apps like Kazaa and 'Weather in your system tray!!!' programs. I suspect the majority will comes from the latter in future.

Please explain to me how you prevent spyware like this getting onto the system via an-administrator authorized account pressing 'next' and installing a bunch of spyware via an installer?

The only way I can see to prevent this is either not running as administrator, which is clumsy as most people want to install software, printers, games without having to log in and out, or by digitally signing every file that is allowed to be transfered onto the filesystem and executed. Gee, that sounds like Trusted Computing which the Slashdot crowd hated (rightly so, it is a horrible idea).

The fact remains that getting rid of spyware is very, very hard. It's like a car maker trying to prevent people flooring it and driving off a cliff - they are telling the machine to basically, jump off a cliff in terms of performance and security. There is very little that you can do without being very extreme in stopping people doing things that you want to do on the computer.

Re:No way

[Hatechall]

Prevention is always better than cure.

True. But telling this to somewone who already has AIDS doesn't help alot, either.

And although I am a minority voice here on Slashdot, I seriously think that they are looking to prevent future security breaches. Of course they are not doing it to feel all warm and fuzzy or whatever, but I do believe it is being done. Call me an unreasonable optimist if you must.
And yes, this isn't an easy issue to deal with. Maybe it should have been delt with better by now, but that is a seperate issue.

Something brewing?

[bigbigbison]

In 2003, they bought GeCAD , makers of RAV-AntiVirus . So is Microsoft going to release their own anti-virus too?

its funny cuz its true

[viva_fourier]

Irregardless of the quality of the anti-spyware, isn't it just damned *ironic* when a company can make a huge profit on a product, and then make *another* goatload of cash by fixing it.

So I ask you, why would Microsoft *ever* wish to produce flawless software???

Re:Why Ask ? Linux+ClamAV is safe.

[xtermin8]

Spybot doesn't really run on linux, and I doubt spyware runs on linux desktops, either. There are cookies you may want to be aware of, but most linux web-browsers make this easy. There are some linux viruses, but also cross-platform antivirus programs. Clam Anti-Virus is a free, open-source app which runs on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

Re:Bad track record

[LiquidCoooled]

I believe about 50% of our support tickets are related to spyware.

Redundencies?

Don't need to worry about outsourcing if there no job to do in the first place.

Re:Embedded Windows spyware

[Exatron]

It has potential to be worse than that. For the right price Microsoft will probably have their anti-spyware program "miss" a company's spyware and adware.

Re:Finally, a REAL "Profit!" plan....

[Osty]

God I wish that last one could one day be real

It has been real since Office 97 (which also coincides with the introduction of the paperclip in Office -- I believe he existed before in Bob, like the dog and cat). Don't want the paperclip? Don't install the paperclip (Office Assistant) when you install Office. Simple. Done. Oh, yeah, and IIRC Office XP Office Assistants do not install by default (they're marked as "install on 1st use" or something like that, though if you don't even want that you can change it to "Not Available" -- see below).

If the paperclip is already installed and you want it gone, follow these simple steps (targetted to Office 2003, since that's what I have installed here, but the approach is similar for all recent versions of Office):

1. Open Add/Remove Programs from the Control Panel
2. Find the Microsoft Office entry in the list, and click the "Change" button
3. Select "Add or Remove Features" if it's not already selected and click Next
4. Check "Choose advanced customization of applications" and click Next
5. Expand "Office Shared Features" in the tree view
6. Find "Office Assistant" in the newly expanded portion of the tree
7. Click the down-arrow, and select Not Available
8. Click Update and finish out the wizard

Voila (not "viola"), no more paperclip.

Windows98 clean install results in 8 spyware...

[3seas]

...items....

Now think again why MS would want such a anti-spyware product.

Good move. Just not the whole solution

[Timbotronic]

All the posts about prevention being better than cure miss the point. There are already millions of compromised systems out there. Sorry to break the /. code of compulsory MS bashing, but any initiative that could help reduce the number of spam bots out there is a good thing.

MS needs to fix and upgrade IE as part of any attempt to fix the problem. No question. But the need for spyware removal tools is still there.

RE: this is a good thing?

[King_TJ]

IMHO, it's only a "good thing" from a relative standpoint. Sure, it's "good" that MS realizes spyware is enough of a problem that they decide to buy out someone who has already been working hard to solve the problem. (From a few recent comments I read over on ArsTechnica after they posted a spyware-testing article, Giant's product is supposedly quite good. In fact, arguably the best available right now, of the non-freeware spyware removers.)

As the parent poster pointed out though, this stuff isn't even an issue for non-Windows users. I'm using my PowerMac G5 tower right now, and it's rather nice not to have to wait while my anti-virus package loads up (further cluttering up a crowded system tray), and then having to wait while the thing does its automatic updates every day or two. No spyware/malware worries either. Just boot up and go....

I do PC on-site service calls for a living (Mac too, on the odd occasion we get them), and I can honestly say that virus/spyware issues generate the vast majority of my income right now. From that angle, I guess I should be happy there's such a big problem. But somehow I'm not... I often tell my customers about the Macintosh alternative (both the good and the bad), and at least 40% of the time or so, they decide it really sounds like it's "right up their alley" and they consider one for their next system purchase.

Call me crazy or whatever... but after 14 years of working with computers, I just feel like it should be as enjoyable an experience for people as possible. Using as much as 30% of your CPU time running background tasks like firewalls, virus scanners and anti-spyware packages seems so unnecessary....

Same old Microsoft

[OmegaBlac]

1. Develop crappy exploitable browser and distribute browser for free.
2. Refuse to seriously fix free browser.
3. Buy anti-virus and anti-spyware companies.
4. Sell anti-virus product to clean up after your free crappy exploitable brower.
5. Use monopoly desktop OS position to drive-out the competition.
6. Profit.

Typical Microsoft.

Why would they have to do this?

[Game Genie]

Microsoft bought a company that produces software designed to uninstall malware from it's operating system. Shouldn't Microsoft have enough mastery of it's own OS to do this internally? Sad, sad, sad.

Re: I like using Windows and developing for it

[EnronHaliburton2004]

Knowledgeable users know this and make use of hardware and software firewalls, antivirus apps and spyware detection apps.

"Sure, I leave the front door to my house unlocked, but I keep the bedroom door locked".

You should stop the problem before it reaches the OS, not apply bandaid solutions after the fact.

Re:IE?

[Zorilla]

Well, I guess we can start with this.

Thats a fraudualent claim

[Blitzenn]

First off, Spyware didn't even exist at the time that Windows 98 was made. I would suggest that if you are being infected on a clean install, that you trash your stolen copy of the OS and go buy a real one. ISO downloads are quite often infected by spyware, trojans and such. So I wouldn't be surprised if you were having that problem.

An ounce of prevention...

[C_Kode]

As they say, An ounce of prevention is more valuable than a pound of cure. Why don't they fix the hole in Internet Explorer rather than implement software to remove exploits? Oh thats right! It's not a security hole, it's a feature.

Same old same old

[Caiwyn]

You find it "refreshing" to see Microsoft try to capitalize on a problem they themselves caused? You don't pay very much attention, do you?

Conflict of interest?

[spectasaurus]

Don't you think it's a little fishy that a company like Microsoft releases software with all sorts of holes, then sells you the software to fix it? I'm not sure what this business practice is called, but it's very much akin to a pharmaceutical company selling the cure for a disease they created in the first place.

Re:IE?

[SpaceKow]

I just hope it does not remove ads from competing companies like Google or Yahho.

I