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Nancymca
Security Goddess, retired.
Premium
join:2001-09-30
Voorheesville, NY
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to mers2
Re: Pest Patrol: Claria Temporarily Removed
It's also an issue of how creative they are willing to be (or *not*, so far....). We had a similar problem several years back when the author of Netbus sold it to a company that wanted to market it as a remote networking tool. We compromised with their wishes (legit) and the reality of the millions of copies out in the wild. There still is an option in BOClean to "NOT detect the Netbus trojan". Check the configuration screen on your BOClean, or the website:
»www.nsclean.com/supboc.html
So, I see no reason why any anti-trojan/spyware/malware company sees fit to not cover known malware, especially when compromises such as we made cover the users who wish to use such as tools. In 4 years of covering spyware we haven't deleted one of them from the database.
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Anticookie software invented here.
Antitrojan software perfected here.
www.nsclean.com | |
Martinus
Premium
join:2001-08-06
EU
| reply to eburger68
I think Nancymca  has a point. Why not let end users choose whether they want to block or not an app which has had a suspect track?
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From the GSV "Ethics Gradient" | |
TeMerc
join:2004-01-22
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to eburger68
Here is some info from CA\PP:
PestPatrol, which is marketed by Computer Associates International Inc., uses a strict, 21-point Spyware Scorecard to determine whether to flag a piece of software as a privacy or security threat.
"We use a behavior-based list of criteria, and we make that list public. If your software meets any of the criteria, you're classified as spyware in our database," said Tori Case, director of security management at eTrust PestPatrol.
That approach, Case argued, sets up a structure for a legitimate adware vendor with good intentions to "clean up their act" in an open, transparent way.
In stark contrast to the PestPatrol approach, anti-spyware players such as Webroot Software Inc., Sunbelt Software and newcomer Microsoft Corp. deliberately avoid limiting or restricting the definition criteria.
"The adware vendors want you to use strict definitions so they can play games and work around those lists. That's why PestPatrol is having problems with delisting and relisting," said Eric Howes, an anti-spyware advocate who provides consulting services for Sunbelt. "The minute you set up these definition lists, you are setting yourself up for cat-and-mouse games."
"A better approach is to define a set of objectionable practices. Many people want to focus on the quality and functionality of the software, but that doesn't work because there's a lot of deceptive intent [from adware vendors]," Howes said in an interview with eWEEK.com.
"You have to focus on the business practices and outline a list of objectionable behavior. Yes, it can be subjective, but that's the only way it works in the interest of the consumer," Howes said.
Next page:
PestPatrol's Tori Case defended the company's use of a rigid definition formula, which is revisited and updated to accommodate new threats.
"We revisit the scorecard every 90 days to make modifications to reflect the changing nature of the spyware market. That's how we address the issues of a company playing games. It's a rapidly evolving world out there, and we have systems in place to deal with it," Case said.
She said the vast majority of vendor appeals do not result in big changes to the PestPatrol product, and even when detections are removed, old versions of the adware program are still detected and deleted.
"We're very committed to the approach we've taken with the scorecard. That's not going to change anytime in the future," Case added.
PestPatrol's Case said she agrees. "Hindsight is 20-20 for all of us. Some big mistakes were made in COAST that we can all learn from. Although there is a place for certification [of adware applications], it should not be within an anti-spyware group. We need to build a wall to avoid those conflict-of-interest issues."
Full read:
»www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1781753,00.asp
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Remember............You can NEVER be OVERPROTECTED!!»temerc.com/ | |
Wildcatboy
Premium,Mod
join:2000-10-30
Toronto, ON | reply to eburger68
»CA Reloads, Goes Gator Huntin' | |
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