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Microsoft Sponsors Antiphishing Bakeoff

uniquebydegrees writes, "InfoWorld is blogging about the (predictable) results of a Microsoft-sponsored antiphishing technology bakeoff. From the TechWatch blog: 'Microsoft's Phishing Filter (MPF) in IE 7 Beta 3 received the highest "composite score" at 172, followed closely by NetCraft's toolbar with a composite score of 168. But when you dig into the numbers, another story emerges... IE's MPF antiphishing toolbar doesn't top out any of the individual tests that make up the composite score... So how did MPF end up on top?... Microsoft didn't do the best job of spotting phish sites, but it did do the best job of blocking the ones it did spot, and blocking was what garnered the most points... Blocking a phishing Web site earned you twice as many points as just warning about it in this test, but is blocking really twice as effective as just warning users?'"

5 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. What a silly question. by Saint+Aardvark · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...but is blocking really twice as effective as just warning users?

    No, of course not. That's why I tape the root password for the file server to users' monitors, but warn them strongly not to use it.

  2. What do most users do when they get a warning box? by chroot_james · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "What is this window doing here?! I just want to get to paypal already..." *clicks ok* "There. Now I can finish this ssn and cc verification..."

    --
    Reality is nothing but a collective hunch.
  3. I hate slashdot so much by anotherone · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If anything, blocking a site should be worth more than double, since most people I know seem to just ignore warning dialogs.

    --
    Username taken, please choose another one.
  4. Template for MS Slashdot Articles by derrickh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Microsoft did something right...but is that something actually not wrong?

    Microsoft performed well...but is performing well more important than performing badly?

    Microsoft isnt all bad...but is not being bad the same as being good?

    D

  5. Re:Do a lot of people still get phished? by merreborn · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My fiance just started as a teller at a Wells Fargo. She says that people come in with questions exactly like that every single day, along with "I need a cashiers check to send to this nice man in Nigeria", and

    "I just got an email saying I won the Canadian Lottery, and I need a cashiers check for $4,000 to cover the taxes"
    "Did you ever _enter_ the Canadian lottery?"
    "No."
    "I hate to tell you this ma'am, but it's a scam."

    Every god damn day.