Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Naming and Shaming Toxic Web Apps

Posted by Soulskill on from the running-this-requires-access-to-your-neural-patterns dept.

itwbennett writes "Stanford Law School has released a wiki called WhatApp?, where users can rate all manner of web apps, browsers, mobile platforms, mobile apps, and social network apps on their security, privacy, and openness. Currently, the wiki 'lists some 200+ apps, but most of them have not been reviewed yet. So they need a lot of help,' writes blogger Dan Tynan. 'To review an app you select it from the list, then fill out a 9-question form rating its privacy, security, and openness, ranging from 5 (very private, secure, and open) to 1 (a steaming pile of vulnerabilities and violations).'"

3 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. Hrm.. by Dread+Pirate+Skippy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The people who are downloading these 'toxic' apps in the first place simply aren't going to visit this site before doing so. Folks who are already aware of the risks won't need a site like this to illustrate them...so who is this for?

    1. Re:Hrm.. by selven · · Score: 2, Insightful

      These are WEB apps, not downloadable ones (technically, the client gets downloaded into your browser cache, but that's usually the extent of it). It's about the ongoing security risk and harm that the apps are causing, and if you've been using Rockbox (to use their hall of shame example) for a year and you stop because of the website, they've still done you a service.

  2. Who is qualified to do this? by yoblin · · Score: 1, Insightful

    How is anyone qualified to actually rate a WebApp on its security most of the time??? Certainly not the average user, and I doubt even a security researcher unless they are given access by the developer. Until it's too late, you won't know that the developer set all the server passwords to 'LOL' or is selling your information to criminals....