RE: Best spyware program

["David Gillett" <gillettdavid () fhda edu>]

  Amidst all the public discussion about this issue, I have
yet to see any directions telling how to display and/or
modify the "ignore" list.  Anybody?

David Gillett


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lett, Craig [mailto:Craig.Lett () usfc com]
> Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 8:07 AM
> To: Eric Webster; Bapodara, Shyamal
> Cc: security-basics () lists securityfocus com
> Subject: RE: Best spyware program
>
>
> Taken From newsletter () spywareinfo com Interesting Article 
> ---------------------------------------  Microsoft Going Soft 
> On Adware Permalink | Top  First there were the rumors that 
> Microsoft is considering buying Claria, the company 
> responsible for creating and distributing Gator adware. 
> Shortly thereafter, it was discovered that Microsoft's 
> antispyware program has been altered by a program update to 
> ignore all adware automatically.   This seems almost like a 
> repeat of the situation with Yahoo's antispyware toolbar last 
> year. Yahoo and Claria have significant financial dealings 
> through Overture, which is owned by Yahoo. Claria makes the 
> bulk of its income through Overture. Not long after Yahoo 
> included an antispyware scanner into their Internet Explorer 
> toolbar, it was discovered that they had altered it to ignore 
> adware.   Yahoo's toolbar uses spyware detection code 
> licensed from PestPatrol (now owned by Computer Associates). 
> PestPatrol's own antispyware program did not have the ability 
> to ignore all adware, only individual products if the user 
> chose to ignore them. After experiencing a massive run of bad 
> publicity, Yahoo changed their toolbar so that it would 
> detect adware by default.   Microsoft's first response to 
> questions about their antispyware program ignoring Claria was 
> to refuse to comment. Their second response was to flatly 
> deny that Claria is receiving any special favors. They claim 
> now that the change was made in order to be "fair and 
> consistent" with how Microsoft AntiSpy handles adware from 
> companies similar to Claria. As it turns out, several adware 
> products have been placed on AntiSpy's ignore list.   
> Whatever the reason, this means that Gator, Dashbar and other 
> adware could install on a computer supposedly protected by 
> Microsoft AntiSpy, without warnings popping up. Since 
> Microsoft altered their users' settings without informing 
> them, those users may not realize that they have to change 
> their ignore list in order to detect these adware programs. If a user 
> dware programs will not show up in the results because they 
> are on the ignore list.   The question that needs to be asked 
> now is: "Can Microsoft's AntiSpy program be trusted?". It is 
> bad enough that they decided to move all adware products to 
> the ignore list by default. However loudly the adware 
> industry screams that their software is not malicious, the 
> fact remains that very few people want it on their computer. 
> People use antispyware scanners because they expect them to 
> find adware as well as the truly malicious stuff.   The 
> problem is that Microsoft used an update to the program to 
> alter their users' settings, without informing them. They may 
> think that adware should be on the ignore list but I 
> seriously doubt that their users would agree. Their users 
> expected that the program would alert them to the presence of 
> adware. Since as far back as late March, these users have 
> been unprotected by a program they were told they could 
> trust. Well, that trust has been broken. Can this program 
> ever be trusted again?   Update After I wrote this but, 
> thankfully, before sending it out, more rumors have surfaced 
> about the Microsoft/Claria acquisition talks. According to an 
> article on ClickZ News, Microsoft has abandoned the idea of 
> purchasing Claria. It would seem that the bad press they 
> received over the rumor caused them to abandon the idea. I 
> believe that odd sound you hear is the entire internet 
> breathing a sigh of relief.    Craig Lett Security 
> Administrator USF Technology Services 630 Kenmoor Ave SE, 
> Suite 200 Grand Rapids, MI 49546 craig.lett () usfc com    
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -- -----Original Message----- From: Eric Webster 
[mailto:sophomeric () gmail com]  Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 5:25 AM To:
Bapodara, Shyamal Cc: security-basics () lists securityfocus com Subject: Re:
Best spyware program   I am not sure if my answer is on track with what you
are looking for, but I personally am liking the Microsoft Anti-Spyware
program. It may be yware since I deployed it.  On 7/20/05, Bapodara, Shyamal
<Shyamal.Bapodara () earthtech com> wrote: > Hello Team > I do like to test
different so called "free"  software available  > online. What is the best
to test if they don't have any spyware in it  > once it is installed? What
will be the best way to test these with out  > compromising my system?
Thanks > Shyamal >  >  > This e-mail is intended to be delivered only to the
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