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Scaremongering over Spyware?

Posted by Zonk on from the grains-of-salt-available-to-your-left dept.

Dynamoo writes "The BBC is reporting that PCs in the UK are infected with over 20 pieces of spyware on average. A frightening statistic, if it is to be believed. In fact, the figures come from Webroot - an anti-spyware firm with a commercial interest in playing up the spyware threat." From the article: "In Poland, 867 of every 1,000 domestic PCs have been infected by trojans, unsolicited programs that can allow remote users to control the machine. It is this international reach that concerns those in authority trying to combat the spread of spyware. "

9 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Why not? by rahrens · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why shouldn't the anti-spyware companies do it? The anti-virus people over hype the threats all the time anyway. The press plays along cause it sells newspapers and ups the ratings...

    --
    "Money is truthful. If a man speaks of his honor, make him pay cash." Notebooks of Lazarus Long, Robert A. Heinlein
  2. Oh James... by digitaldc · · Score: 3, Funny

    The BBC is reporting that PCs in the UK are infected with over 20 pieces of spyware on average...It is this international reach that concerns those in authority trying to combat the spread of spyware."

    Quick, get Q on the line, I think we are going to need the services of 007 for this one!

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  3. Cookies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It is not scare-mongering, it is real and I am surprised it is only 20 pieces of spyware. Pretty much any website will usually drop a half dozen advertising tracking cookies.

  4. However... by inphinity · · Score: 2, Funny
    Isn't it also true that most spyware that these programs detect are somewhat-benign tracking cookies for sites like FastClick? I wouldn't necessarily classify those as spyware.

    However, if they are, then I'm sure most of the computers I own (Linux, OS X, Win) will have at least a dozen such "spyware" infections...

  5. Re:Seems like a statisticians nightmare by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wouldn't be surprised if they have installed a little program on peoples machines to monitor and upload the stats about how much spyware a person has on their machine.

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
  6. Re:True number or not, way too common.. by PowerBert · · Score: 1, Funny

    I think most of the people on slashdot could tell similar stories.
    My favourite (and fashionable) spyware cleaner at present is Ubuntu Linux. In my experience it's been 100% effective!

  7. Here we all have license to kill -9 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    ... not only 007

  8. Obligatory by Headcase88 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let's count it up. MSN, Internet Explorer, Windows Autoupdate...

    I kid, I kid :P

    --
    "When the atomic bomb goes off there's devastation...but when the atomic bong goes off there's celebraaaaation!"
  9. Re:And, typical of scaremongering tactics... by fyoder · · Score: 4, Funny
    Public schools have Sex Ed classes where they teach you how to reduce your risk of getting HIV and the Clap... how about Computer Safety classes where they teach you how to reduce your risk of getting viruses or spyware?

    In Republican states that would amount to "Don't use computers, kids, and you won't get infected. Take the computer abstinence pledge."

    --
    Loose lips lose spit.