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Posts Tagged “
Spyware
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norton
computer repair
Texas Law Probably Does Not Require PI License To Fix Spyware-Infested Computers
Dries Janssens, a computer repair shop owner in Allen, Texas, is worried that a 2007 law passed by the state legislature requires computer repair technicians to have private investigator licenses to perform "simple computer repairs such as malware removal." We're not sure if the law was just badly written or written on purpose at the urging of the state's private investigator lobby (which Janssens suggests), but it certainly seems like a bad idea. Update: according to this article sent by our weekend editor Carey, it's just badly written ("It needs some tightening up," says one lawmaker) and should only apply to the private security industry. More »
privacy
Researchers Accuse Sears Of Distributing Spyware
Not content with having some of retail's worst customer service, Sears has decided to wring out more dollars from its customers by jumping into the spyware game. Sears recently sent out an email inviting customers to join "My SHC Community" where they will have a chance to earn fabulous prizes and journal their online shopping experience. All you gotta do is provide your address and install a little ComScore program that monitors your every single step on the internet, from Sears to Myspace to your online banking, to your email headers. More »
copyright
Article Recounts Sony's Rootkit Debacle In Detail
Remember Sony's cringe-inducing copy protection scheme a couple of years ago, where they secretly installed rootkits on millions of customers' PCs and then pretended it was no big deal? ("Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" — Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's President of Global Digital Business.) There's a new article (PDF) about to be published in the Berkely Technology Law Journal called "The Magnificence of the Disaster: Reconstructiong the Sony BMG Rootkit Incident." It's a very detailed and entertaining read that examines the conditions that led Sony BMG "toward a strategy that in retrospect appears obviously and fundamentally misguided." More »
online privacy
List Of Companies That Participate In Facebook's Beacon Spy Program
One of our readers yesterday left a couple of interesting links in the comments section of our Beacon post. They provide the names of the companies that Facebook says are participating in its poorly conceived spy program Beacon. Here they are: More »
online privacy
Facebook's Beacon Even Sneakier Than Originally Thought
Last week, Facebook made a lot of noise about how it was making its new Beacon spyware—we mean advertising initiative—less sneaky. But guess what? Over the weekend, Computer Associates reported that even after you've declined to have Beacon advertise your habits back to your friends, and even if you've logged out of Facebook, it will still surreptitiously report your actions back to Facebook's servers. And there's no way you can turn it off. More »
badvertising
Flash-Based Malware Ad Sneaks Onto Legit Websites Via DoubleClick
A new malware ad has managed to sneak its way onto Doubleclick's DART ad publishing system, which means it's been showing up on several legitimate websites, including Major League Baseball, The Economist, and Canada.com. It doesn't require user interaction to be triggered—as soon as it's loaded into the page, it initiates the redirect, closes your browser window, and starts bullying you to install "anti-virus" software. It will even attempt to download a virus-laden .exe file, naturally. More »
online security
Protect Yourself From Badware
Stopbadware.org has just released its "Trends in Badware 2007" report, a free overview of all the ways you and your computer can be slipped digital roofies while you're online looking at LOLpornography and doing your banking through Twitter. It's written in a deliberately non-technical style, so if you're put-off or intimidated by the Slashdot crowd, this is a great way to educate yourself or a naive loved one about the dangers of drive-by downloads, website hacking, and so on. More »
knowing is half the battle
Half Of Consumers Are Not Aware Of Online Threats?
Ars Technica quotes a recent study by Microsoft that found that 58% of American consumers didn't even know "online threats" existed. The study also found that of the ones that did know about said threats, 17% of them had fallen for some sort of Internet scam—and 81% of those people said it was their fault for opening suspicious emails or sending information to strange companies because they had a nice logo. More »
news from the swamp
Crappy Spyware Bill To Give More Power To Spyware Companies?
The EFF is encouraging consumers to write their Senators about a new "spyware" bill that has been, in their words, "massaged by by lobbyists for the software and adware industries." Cory Doctorow of BoingBoing says the bill"makes it impossible for consumer rights groups to sue DRM companies for putting spyware in their DRM (like Sony did last year, with its rootkit DRM). The irony is that spyware is already illegal, so all that this act does is immunize big media companies that sneak spyware onto your computer."Spyware is spyware, we think, even if it comes with a Sony/BMG logo. More »
spyware
House Passes Two Anti-Spyware Measures
The House has passed not one, but two cleverly-named measures targeting the miscreants who make and promote spyware. Though the FTC, Justice Department, and several state attorneys general are already empowered to prosecute spyware manufacturers, the two measures would extend existing laws by subjecting spyware makers to jail terms and multimillion-dollar fines. More »
agent johnny utah
40% Geek Squad Downsizing Memo? Not That I Know Of, Says Founder
When reached for comment, Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens said he knew nothing about 40% tech staff reduction / have-more-repairs-done-remotely-by-techs-in-India memo as described by our tipster. In fact, he said he'd like to see it if we did ever end up getting it. Anyhow, as far as staff reductions go Stephens said, "There has been restructuring since we launched within Best Buy and the most recent was back in Jan/Feb but that's old news - and quite public." More »
spyware
Should Spyware Distributors Be Locked Up?
William Kovacic, an FTC Commissioner speaking at a Senate Commerce Committee said most spyware distributors "can only be described as vicious organized criminals." Oh really? From CNET:What do you guys think? Lock 'em up? —MEGHANN MARCO More »
"Many of most serious wrongdoers we observed in this area, I believe, are only going to be deterred if their freedom is withdrawn," so it's important for the FTC to collaborate on its cases with criminal law enforcement authorities, Kovacic said.
botnets
Botnets Take Over Your Computer For Evil
Red Tape Chronicles has an interesting series of articles about botnets, groups of hijacked computers that can be controlled remotely to send spam, viruses, conduct break-ins, host phishing sites, and of course, commandeer more computers. If you don't take adequate steps to protect your computer, it could become some criminal's slave. More »
adware
Are Cingular And Travelocity Still Supporting Adware?
Despite being fined by the State of New York, Cingular and Travelocity might still be supporting adware, according to "Massachusetts lawyer and spyware researcher Ben Edelman." From PC World:Edelman says Cingular Wireless and Travelocity are indirectly supporting the adware and spyware industry with ad dollars despite efforts by both companies to cut ties with that form of advertising.More »
fines
This settlement marks the first time the advertisers have been held responsible for how their ads were delivered. "Advertisers can no longer insulate themselves from liability by turning a blind eye to how their advertisements are delivered, or by placing ads through intermediaries, such as media buyers," a statement from the New York Attorney General's Office said. "The settlement calls for Priceline.com, Travelocity and Cingular, the wireless unit of AT&T, to pay New York $35,000, $30,000 and $35,000, respectively, to cover penalties and investigatory costs." Is $35,000 enough to make a company think twice? —MEGHANN MARCO More »
Priceline, Travelocity and Cingular Settle Over Adware Charges
From CNet:Priceline.com, Travelocity.com and Cingular Wireless have settled over charges that they used secret adware Internet software programs as marketing tools, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said on Monday.
This settlement marks the first time the advertisers have been held responsible for how their ads were delivered. "Advertisers can no longer insulate themselves from liability by turning a blind eye to how their advertisements are delivered, or by placing ads through intermediaries, such as media buyers," a statement from the New York Attorney General's Office said. "The settlement calls for Priceline.com, Travelocity and Cingular, the wireless unit of AT&T, to pay New York $35,000, $30,000 and $35,000, respectively, to cover penalties and investigatory costs." Is $35,000 enough to make a company think twice? —MEGHANN MARCO More »
fast food
McDonald's Unleases Spyware On Japan
If it's American, if it's an egregious affront to the average consumer... hell, we'll post it! But that is not to say that we don't shower our love upon our readers from further-off climes. Heck, I'm a swarthily tanned, nut-brown native of a far off clime myself... Ireland! More »
symantec
