Slashdot Mirror
Anti-Spyware Guidelines Get Final Version
Ant wrote to mention a C|Net article reporting an agreement by The Anti-Spyware Coalition on some standard methods for identifying and combating spyware. From the article: "The Anti-Spyware Coalition, whose members include Microsoft, Symantec, Computer Associates, McAfee, AOL and Yahoo, said on Thursday that it has finalized its spyware detection guidelines. The final version takes into account public comments on a proposed version introduced in October ... The Anti-Spyware Coalition's guidelines, or risk model description, aim to provide a common way to classify spyware, based on risks a piece of software poses to consumers. They also suggest ways to handle software, based on those risk levels."
"Any software that does things we don't like, and which you have not paid us to 'certify'".
Many of these vendors have implicitly collaborated with spyware vendors in the past, for commercial gain, and anything they say must be taken with a large pinch of salt. This is an attempt to create some teflon in view of more aggressive anti-spyware legislation.
My blog
This is very important work, because as soon as there is an 'official' set of methods for detecting spyware, the spyware authors can get to business writing spyware that avoids detection by the official methods. I'm sure spyware authors are very excited for this document.
Then, of course, the anti-spyware consortium will have to address these new vectors and issue an updated set of anti-spyware methods. Which will, of course, spur the spyware authors to come up with new, undetectable methods. And so on...
I'm so glad this consortium is coming up with an official list of methods to detect spyware, because once they do everything will be totally different than it is now. Kinda.
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
Since the guidelines themselves aren't enumerated in TFA, I'm going to hazard a guess and say that "unremoveable software installed without your permission that modifies the way your computer works and spies on you is bad if it's installed by a corporation with a net income of less than nine figures, but it's ok if it's installed by a corporation with a net income of nine figures or more, because they know more about your computer than you do, they know what's best for their customers, and they need to protect their 1920's-style business model."
Help save the critically endangered Blue Iguana
The very fact that Symantec is in the group means they are just a sham. Symantec's Norton Antivirus classifies Spybot S&D as a virus (HUH?). Then, when they were forced to admit it wasn't, the excuse becamse "Norton Ghost won't work if Spybot S&D is installed" (HUH?). Just the usual tactic to push competitors (especially free competitors) out of the market.
...that we even have to deal with spyware. I understand the need for user convience, but, I would reckon that it is highly INCONVIENT to have your system open enough to get spyware. As I've said on many posts, I don't *get* spyware, or viri, or anything else. And I'm not an anal linux zealot who would like to see Gates assassinated becuase Windows does or does not do this or that. Windows is what it is - but I use windows, at work, and at home - yet I fail to get spyware with simple configuration. When is the last time spyware was able to execute using Firefox with NoScript (whitelisted javascript), reading the EULA's [aka don't download 5,500 'free' games] and not installing kazaa [aka reem my computer please]? The fact of the matter is spyware is a _user_ problem. If _users_ continue to click "next next next" and don't understand what they are installing, spyware will be a major part of the future. Eventually, though, the old and illiterate will die out and the technology generation will understand (hopefully) enough to read and comprehend.
One point makes me wonder, though:
What has s/n generation to do with spyware? It does not reduce the system's security, does not reveil private data, and is probably installed on the machine because the user wants to generate a serial number!
Looks a bit as if the companies in the coalition are having trouble in keeping apart the PC owner's goals with their own...
Use the source, Luke!