Schneier On Scareware Vendor Lawsuits

Bruce Schneier's blog says "This is good: Microsoft Corp. and the state of Washington this week filed lawsuits against a slew of 'scareware' purveyors, scam artists who use fake security alerts to frighten consumers into paying for worthless computer security software. "

Comments

Microsoft is sueing themselves?

[El_Muerte_TDS]

scam artists who use fake security alerts to frighten consumers into paying for worthless computer security software

Sounds a lot like an average Windows advertisement.

Unnecessary blog reference

[g051051]

Why does this even reference Bruce Schneier's blog? There's no added value from there. Why not just reference the original article?

Re:Unnecessary blog reference

[QuantumG]

Look at the name of the submitter.. this is blatant self promotion.

And, as is often the case, Schneier's blog doesn't add anything to the article either.

Re:Unnecessary blog reference

[mcgrew]

Bruce Schneier has a lot more credibility in the security field than the Washington Post, the State of Washington, and Microsoft all put together.

Re:Unnecessary blog reference

[LMacG]

Actually, Brian Krebs at the WaPo has a lot of credibility, and has been writing very good well-researched columns on computer security for as long as I've been reading that paper. What's your left arse cheek done lately?

Courts determining what's required for security?

[compumike]

The law referenced "makes it illegal to misrepresent the extent to which software is required for computer security or privacy." This is such a fishy thing that I'm not really sure if I want courts to determine what exactly is required and therefore whether it is being misrepresented.

Now, maybe there's a case for fraud if the program doesn't do what it purports to do in its advertising, but that doesn't seem to be what's at stake here.

There also might be a case for fraud if, perhaps, the advertising pop-ups are being confused for actual Windows messages. But I suppose in the "real world" advertisements mimic other things to be creative, but are still fairly obviously ads.

Just not sure I like the sound of a law that requires a judge or jury to determine what's required for computer security.

--
Hey code monkey... learn electronics! Powerful microcontroller kits for the digital generation.

Re:What an awesome quote on his book cover

[Notquitecajun]

So put another dime in the jukebox, baby.

Re:FAKE security warnings, for Windows?

[sjwest]

If you run a linux os with a modern web browser, and you visit a site with the scareware it is mildly amusing to see that your registry is screwed up and the site looks like internet explorer in colour scheme but you can download an exe to fix.

Its happened twice to me, and i find them amusing.

Im quite sure this is how windows zombies get signed up, but my penguin knows better.

Re:colors

[MBGMorden]

Too obvious for your normal user, yes. Your average geek isn't going to get fooled by these things anyways (heck with the way NoScript and my popup blockers are set I don't see them at all anyways). But to the guy who fumbles with the power button and whose eyes glaze over when you speak of "cut and paste", changing the window colors and then having the foresight to pickup on a different color showing up being bad, is way beyond their capabilities.

Re:FAKE security warnings, for Windows?

[gaderael]

...after all, is there anything as insecure as Windows?

Emo kids?