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Scaremongering over Spyware?
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. "
Slowly people that I know start to have things in order as I have managed to make them change habits, install tools and such, but not everyone has such aquintances, and even then, the number of times I have cleaned spyware from someones computer is way high...
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
How can you really tell how many people are infected with spyware? It's not a question like, "do you support proposition 84?" where you can call people at random or talk to them on the street. I would be afraid of the guy who came to my door asking if he could test whether or not my computer was infected with spyware(doubly so since I use a mac :P), and if you just ask people, 9/10 they won't know but will probably make up a answer anyway. They could use the numbers sent to them by customers, but that isn't random at all. Their customers are much more likely to have spyware infections or else they wouldn't be seeking their help.
So yeah, it's a number, but not a very convincing one...
Monstar L
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
...they are (probably deliberately) confusing the terms "trojan" and "spyware". Is it any wonder that the average user doesn't know the difference between a "virus", "spyware" or "adware", doesn't know the umbrella term "malware", and thinks that any antivirus program is all they need to stay safe?
To this day, most end-users I talk to think that "spyware" is something good, since they hear people talking about "Spybot", which they think is "a program that gets rid of the viruses".
When will we get some REAL end-user education in this topic? 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?
With spending like this, exactly what are "conservatives" conserving?
When I help out none-techies with their crippled system, they often have in excess of 100 pieces of various malware. I can well believe as an average of the uk that 21 would not be a too unreasonable figure.
All is fair in love and war...
From TFA: More information regarding those settlements can be found here.
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
Well it would all depend on what was being classed as spyware. Are they including tracking cookies, in which case anyone using google with cookies turned on will be infected.
And why oh why can't the BBC specify "Windows" users. Why do they report every piece of Malware as being a threat to PC users. It's not. Most malware is operating system specific. if it affects Windows, say Windows.
Sloppy journalism...slipping standards, blah blah...
Education is the real key to computer protection, not the purchase of spyware removal tools.
I've only ever had one piece of malware, which was ten years ago (the Tai Pei virus). In the meantime, I've learned good computer habits. These include being cautious about downloading and installing software, using the free firewall which comes with Windows XP, and employing the Mozilla range of browsers / email clients.
If users don't learn to be cautious when using a computer, they're going to run afoul of phishers, which will be much more of an incovenience that a bit of adware.
Phoenix, Boston, Little Rock, see a pattern?
I'm working for an antivirus company (and you have NO idea, the problem with spyware is not that you couldn't remove it, it's the legal issues around removing it and labeling it spyware), and from my perspective, there are 2 kinds of spyware out there.
:)
The kind that comes in the form of a cookie like doubleclick. It's tracking you, so it is technically spyware, even though it does not modify anything on your PC, does not have any negative impact on your stability or anything else. All it does is to monitor your browsing behaviour.
If you count this kind of spyware then yes, the infection rate is crippling. 99% I'd wager. And 20 on average is reaching kinda low.
If you only count those pesky popups that come as BHOs and other installed services, then my count would be a LOT lower. Still way too high but WAY lower.
And yes, the average infected computer carries a tremenduous load of spyware. If you have one, you have them all. If I didn't know better, I'd say they download each other.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Hah!
DOUBLE HAH!
Them: "Dude, my computer is slow and it's got some sort of popup that comes on when I turn it on"
Me: "You're infected"
Them: "But how? I don't go to any porn sites...." yadda yadda yadda.
And when I get to the sick peecee, I see that not only does it have _one_ piece of malware, but it barely boots from the hundreds (sometimes thousands) of evil packages all fighting for control of the poor machine.
It's a losing battle. No, it's not scare mongering. It's reality.
--
BMO
Here at GRCC, Computer Club runs a monthly event called PC Clinic where we fix machines for free. We've serviced more than 60 machines over the course of the three events we've run. We easily average more than 100 pieces of spyware on each machine we test.
/. comments later, after class. :)
Three or four machines had over 1000[sic] pieces of spyware, and one machine had over three thousand pieces, plus several variants of either Sasser or Sobig. (I forget which...that machine came in the door on our first day.)
We don't just service the machines of the elderly...we get a lot of uninformed college students and their parents, as well.
If you have any questions, drop me an email. I'd be happy to answer them. I'll respond to
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
It doesn't matter where you surf. It doesn't matter what you open in mail. It doesn't matter if you keep your system updated.
...
What matters is the combination of it all!
You have to do EVERYTHING to stay clean. No shady porn sites, no clickyclicky on shady mail, daily updates, up to date virus killer, well configured firewall,
"Gaaaaah... too much work!" is the answer you'll get from Joe Schmoe Average. "All I wanna do is surf, I don't wanna worry about system stability, Browser plugins and antivirus."
Well, all I want to do with my car is drive around. And still I gotta worry about red lights and directional lanes. Why the heck do I? It makes me slower and keeps me from getting right where I want to be!
Oh. Right. I enjoy being alive and have an operational car.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
There are plenty of other more-neutral studies that say basically the same thing.
r vey_1.htmle StudyRelease.pdf0 4.pdf
? content_id=716624 5-20041015DellsSpywareSurvey.html
Late in 2004 some studies were done that were pretty thorough. I know it's kind of old now but I can't imagine things have gotten any better.
A study was done by AOL and the National Cyber Security Alliance. Some of their findings:
6% of users thought they had a virus currently on their computer. A scan revealed that actually 19% of all the users had viruses.
71% of those with antivirus software thought that it updated weekly or daily. However, a scan revealed that only 33% of all the users had actually updated their antivirus within the last week.
53% thought they had spyware on their computer. A scan revealed that in truth, 80% of all the users had spyware.
References:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/10/25/HNaolsu
http://www.staysafeonline.info/pdf/NCSA-AOLIn-Hom
http://www.staysafeonline.info/pdf/safety_study_v
Another study by Dell estimated that nearly 90% of all desktop computers are infected somehow, with 1 out of 5 calls to Dell tech-support being virus/spyware related. Most people aren't even aware that their computers have been compromised:
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php
http://www.webpronews.com/news/ebusinessnews/wpn-