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SPYWARE, TROJANS, AND OTHER NASTY THINGS
Adware, spyware, malware, oh my!




FTC Brings Charges Against Company Flagged In CDT Complaint
"From cdt.org: The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it had brought charges against Odysseus Marketing, publisher of a software product called ClientMan. The Center for Democracy & Technology had first identified ClientMan as one of several troubling programs in a spyware complaint it filed with the FTC in February 2004. The FTC has now filed cases against three of the companies mentioned in the CDT complaint, plus a fourth the FTC found through its own investigation."
Full story - FTC Complaint [PDF]
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Oct 5 17:10:53 EDT 2005



FaceTime Identifies Fake Google Toolbar Propagated Thru Instant Messaging and Internet Relay Chat
"FaceTime today warns users about malicious links being spread through instant messaging (IM) and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) which downloads a rogue, fake Google toolbar and adware on users machines and re-directs users to a page collecting credit card information. This complex phishing scheme which takes advantage of Google's trusted brand, borrows exploits of an application commonly referred to as "CoolWebSearch," although it is still unclear on who is responsible for the scheme."
Full story - Yahoo
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Oct 5 16:52:02 EDT 2005



FTC Targets Company Secretly Installing Spyware that Can't Be Uninstalled
"Odysseus Marketing and its principal, Walter Rines, advertised software they claimed would allow consumers to engage in peer-to-peer file sharing anonymously... The agency charges that the claims are bogus. First, the software does not make file-sharing anonymous. Second, the cost to consumers is considerable because the "free" software is bundled with spyware called Clientman that secretly downloads dozens of other software programs, degrading consumers' computer performance and memory."
Full story - Senior Journal
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Oct 5 13:57:05 EDT 2005



Government Cracks Down On Spyware Operation
"Government regulators are trying to shut down a company they say secretly downloaded spyware onto the computers of unwitting Internet users, rendering them helpless to a flood of pop-up ads, computer crashes and other annoyances."
Full story - WAVY TV
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Oct 5 13:50:36 EDT 2005



Kaspersky confirms antivirus software flaw
"Kaspersky Lab confirmed Tuesday that a potentially serious flaw exists in its antivirus software, but said a fix is on the way. The security software maker said it had offered preliminary protection to customers last week and that a permanent patch will be available on Wednesday."
Full story - CNET News
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Oct 4 17:35:40 EDT 2005



Malware spoofs search sites
"Google, MSN and Yahoo are all targeted by a new piece of malware that surreptiously directs traffic to commercial sites..."
Full story - ZDNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Mon Oct 3 08:37:23 EDT 2005



Spyware is Being Designed For a Broader Audience Than Ever Before
"... Technical support exchanges at SpyCop and spyware advertising itself show that commercial spyware is being marketed at a much broader audience, including criminals interested in identity theft."
Full story - HNS
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Sep 27 14:53:51 EDT 2005



Behavioral Must Behave (commentary)
"... We can't begin to provide full value to advertisers until we address consumers' needs and fears by focusing on the 3 R's: Relevance, Respect and Restraint."
Full story - MediaPost
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Sep 22 19:05:30 EDT 2005



AOL swaps out anti-spyware for users
"America Online users will start receiving new anti-spyware tools on Wednesday, the Internet service provider said in a statement."
Full story - CNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Sep 21 08:44:30 EDT 2005



Keystrokes Reveal Passwords to Researchers
"If spyware and key-logging software weren't a big enough threat to privacy, researchers have figured out a way to eavesdrop on your computer simply by listening to the clicks and clacks of the keyboard."
Full story - Yahoo!
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Sep 20 16:56:51 EDT 2005



Adware infiltrates Google
"At least two new pieces of surreptitiously installed software can hijack the most popular search engine, placing ads amid legitimate Google search results on infected PCs, a computer security company recently revealed."
Full story - Newsday
Submitted by Anonymous, Sun Sep 18 11:22:15 EDT 2005



More spyware used in identity theft
"A study by security company Aladdin's eSafe Content Security response Team (CSRT) found that 15 percent of spyware threats successfully copy user's passwords, usernames, hashes of administrator's passwords and email addresses. The analysis of 2,000 known spyware threats shows that there is a growing amount of malware designed for identity theft."
Full story - SC Magazine
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Sep 15 12:29:48 EDT 2005



Can Spies Decipher Keyboard Clicks?
"Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have found a way to turn the clicks and clacks of typing on a computer keyboard into a startlingly accurate transcript of what exactly is being typed. In a paper released last week, the researchers explained how they developed software that could analyze the sound of someone typing on a keyboard for just ten minutes and then piece together as much as 96 percent of what had been typed."
Full story - PC World
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Sep 14 13:42:05 EDT 2005



Ask Jeeves Getting Flagged As Spyware
"Search engine Ask Jeeves appears to be having a world of problems with some of its software. Apparently, a number of anti-spyware firms have flagged Jeeves for some of the downloading techniques and distribution channels it chooses for its toolbars and other software."
Full story - webpronews.com
Submitted by Anonymous, Mon Sep 12 16:50:41 EDT 2005



Microsoft to track internet use
"Microsoft Corp will soon release a security tool for its internet browser that privacy advocates say could allow the company to track the surfing habits of computer users. Microsoft officials say the company has no intention of doing so. The new feature, which Microsoft will make available as a free download within the next few weeks, is prompting some controversy, as it will inform the company of websites that users are visiting."
Full story - smh.com
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Sep 8 13:27:06 EDT 2005



Adware maker seeks to thwart rogue installs
"In a continuing effort to clean up its image, advertising software maker 180solutions has updated its products to thwart rogue distribution."
Full story - CNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Sep 8 08:30:47 EDT 2005



Software firms step on our privacy
"...You've seen these things, commonly called "EULAs" for end-user license agreements. You can't install anything on your PC without agreeing to them. Maybe you've even read one. Probably not. You probably figure if there were something wrong with them someone would say something. I am. There's something wrong with these EULAs."
Full story - Charlotte.com (reg. req.)
Submitted by Anonymous, Mon Sep 5 09:48:40 EDT 2005



Yahoo Rapped Over Funding Spyware - Isn't It Overdue For Source Selection To Be Allowed?
"How Yahoo Funds Spyware out now by spyware researcher/activist Ben Edelman looks at how Yahoo ads run in plenty of places beyond Yahoo, including syndication partners he says make use of spyware or adware. It raises again the question of why the major search engines are dragging their feet on letting people pick-and-choose where their ads will run?"
Full story - SearchEngineWatch
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Sep 1 09:06:32 EDT 2005



Hidden-code flaw in Windows renews worries over stealthly malware
"A flaw in the way that several security programs and systems utilities detect system changes could allow spyware to spread surreptitiously and have renewed worries about stealthier attack code."
Full story - Security Focus
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Aug 31 12:43:54 EDT 2005



Keylogger fears lead back to Windows Update
"A Canberra tech consultant who feared he had a keylogger on his computer has found that the suspicious activity was caused by the Microsoft Update service."
Full story - The Age
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Aug 30 08:45:10 EDT 2005



FBI Reveals 16 More Suspects In Zotob Worm
"Turkish law-enforcement officials have informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation that they've identified 16 more suspects thought to have assisted in the creation of the Zotob bot worm that has plagued IT security staffs for two weeks."
Full story - crn.com
Submitted by Anonymous, Mon Aug 29 20:08:13 EDT 2005



It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time...
"Perez-Melara created a spyware application that allowed jealous and/or suspicious lovers to monitor everything on their sneaky partner's computer. For just $89, the virus would be sent via email under the guise of an e-card, complete with "puppies and flowers.""
Full story - WebProNews
Submitted by Anonymous, Mon Aug 29 17:27:05 EDT 2005



Jealous Lovers: No Web Snooping
"SAN DIEGO -- The creator and several buyers of a computer program designed to allow jealous lovers to snoop on their sweethearts' online activities have been indicted for allegedly violating federal computer privacy laws."
Full story - Wired
Submitted by Anonymous, Sun Aug 28 08:33:21 EDT 2005



Spyware Worm Targets Gamers, Yahoo Users
"A new spyware worm that steals information from players of a popular online game, as well as from Yahoo e-mail users, has been detected by security Latest News about Security authority Sophos, which described the threat as representing a new trend among malware practitioners."
Full story - T*p Tech News
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Aug 25 15:27:20 EDT 2005



Sharp increase in spyware Web sites
"US, Poland and Holland are blamed for a massive jump in spyware infections this year. A report issued on Wednesday warned the number of spyware Web sites detected has quadrupled since the start of 2005 to over 300,000."
Full story - ZDNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Aug 25 08:55:28 EDT 2005



Panda Offers Free Spyware Detector
"Panda Software on Wednesday offered up an online spyware scanner with no strings attached. But the tool only detects spyware; it doesn't delete the malicious software."
Full story - InformationWeek
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Aug 24 17:10:46 EDT 2005



ID theft spyware scam uncovered
"Security firm Sunbelt Software said it stumbled across a US-based server storing megabytes of data stolen from compromised computers while researching spyware infections. The server held passwords for online accounts from 50 banks, Ebay and Paypal logins, hundreds of credit card numbers and reams of personal data."
Full story - BBC
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Aug 23 15:39:57 EDT 2005



Buggy Code Halts Spread of Zotob
"In the end, the much-feared Zotob worm became more of a localized nuisance than a widespread problem due to the design of the code itself. Mistakes by the coders of the worm in variants caused infected machines to reboot continuously, not giving most machines enough time to spread the worm to other vulnerable PCs."
Full story - Altavista.com
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Aug 23 11:59:43 EDT 2005



Spyware plague goes corporate
"The number of reported corporate spyware incidents rocketed by almost 20 per cent between April and June of this year, research published today has claimed... The study found that the number of websites distributing spyware has quadrupled since the beginning of 2005 to an astonishing 300,000 unique URLs"
Full story - WhatPC.co.uk
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Aug 23 11:17:41 EDT 2005



Users confuse spyware with Star Wars
"IT directors are worried that most of the population have no idea what spyware is, with a sizeable minority believing it is something they have seen in a movie. Some 11 percent of the British population are convinced that spyware is "a gadget from Star Wars", according to research published on Thursday."
Full story - ZDNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Aug 18 20:27:48 EDT 2005



Worldwide worm attacks intensifying
"Two new worms are exploiting a flaw that Microsoft patched last week and it appears separate hacking groups are competing to infect machines... The first worm, Zobot C, is similar to the worms that appeared yesterday... The second, Tilebot-F, is spreading much more quickly and downloads spyware as well as a Trojan allowing remote control of the PC."
Full story - computeractive
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Aug 17 09:53:33 EDT 2005



Adware Firm Accuses 7 Distributors of Using 'Botnets'
"A major online advertising company that has been accused by security experts of fueling the spyware problem says it is taking legal action against seven people in six countries who, it claims, used viruses to spread ad software to thousands of computers without their owners' consent."
Full story - Washington Post
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Aug 16 16:25:06 EDT 2005



Keep your computer activities out of divorce court
"... If you share a computer, you should have no expectation of privacy. Your spouse may be able to access information on the computer. Even if it isn't admissible in court, it can work against you. Further, attorney-client privilege may not apply to communications stored on a shared computer, according to several Web sites that track technology and the law."
Full story - Montgomery Advertiser
Submitted by Anonymous, Sun Aug 14 02:45:23 EDT 2005



Game players say Blizzard invades privacy
"A number of "World of Warcraft" players are up in arms over software being used by the game's publisher to scan users' computers for hacks prohibited under its terms of service... Blizzard said that its own scanning of "World of Warcraft" players' computers is different from that of the "Everquest" situation, because Blizzard spells out in the game's end-user license agreement, or EULA, that the company maintains the right to perform such anti-hacking scans"
Full story - CNet News
Submitted by Anonymous, Fri Aug 12 20:22:45 EDT 2005



Pop-Up Ad Pioneer Now Shunning Practice
"Claria's new services will still require a software download "just like the old Claria software," said Ben Edelman, a Harvard University student who specializes in spyware research. "The question is how sneaky they are going to be about it.""
Full story - E-Commerce Times
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Aug 9 08:53:02 EDT 2005



Advertising.com Settles FTC Adware Charges
"Advertising.com Inc., a unit of Time Warner Inc.'s America Online, agreed to settle federal charges that the company offered free security software without adequately disclosing that it also came with adware. Under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, Advertising.com will be required to "clearly and prominently" disclose that consumers who install the program, SpyBlast, will receive pop-up ads based on their Internet browsing habits."
Full story - AP
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Aug 4 09:30:56 EDT 2005



Spyware, adware and unaware
"Spyware is public enemy number one. Web advertising networks are strongly lobbying to make sure that the anti-Spyware bill known as the Spy Act is watered down a bit before passage (Bill H.R. 29). These tenacious Washington insiders are concerned that the law as written could restrict their ability to do their job %96 that is, to infiltrate corporate computer networks, to reduce employee productivity and to slow down corporate networks."
Full story - SC Magazine
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Jul 27 10:06:32 EDT 2005



FDIC to banks: Watch out for spyware
"The FDIC on Friday urged banks to enhance their protections against spyware, to limit the risk that customers' personal data may be stolen. The guidance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. comes amid a growing stream of reported incidents of the theft or exposure of personal customer data."
Full story - CNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Jul 26 08:46:55 EDT 2005



Credit Card Theft by Spyware Elite Toolbar (EliteBar); SaferSurf.com Warns: Spyware Elite Sends Credit Card Information to Third Parties (press release)
"The Spyware lab at SaferSurf established that there is a high security risk when installing Elite Toolbar. Tests have revealed that the Spyware not only sends the postal and email addresses of unsuspecting users to third parties but it is also involved in credit card theft. The Trojan Elite Toolbar, EliteBar for short, is a browser hijacker that inserts itself into Internet Explorer, pretending to be a search bar for a search engine."
Full story - BusinessWire
Submitted by Anonymous, Mon Jul 25 07:55:23 EDT 2005



Microsoft enhances anti-spyware tools
"Microsoft has released an enhanced version of its anti-spyware product as it continues to work on version two of the application, which is due in beta form later this year. The company is continuing to work with numerous groups to find ways to improve Micrsoft AntiSpyware, which was released in beta in January, and now has ways of "guarding over 50 ways that spyware can enter" a PC. According to reports in the security community, these latest updates focus on ways to combat "rootkits"."
Full story - ZDNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Wed Jul 20 08:35:32 EDT 2005



Attackers turning to fake online greeting cards
"The next e-mail greeting card you get may come with a nasty surprise. According to Internet security vendor SurfControl PLC, attackers are increasingly using fake e-mail greeting cards as a way of getting malicious software installed on computers."
Full story - ComputerWorld
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Jul 19 13:49:42 EDT 2005



Only a secure OS can defeat adware
"... The real problem is that anti-spyware products are vulnerable to litigation. A virus is a virus, but spyware is not so simple. On its web site, Claria complains about "faulty consumer anti-spyware software programs that do not honour basic principles of transparency and informed consumer consent". That is little comfort to spyware victims, but arguable in court."
Full story - vnunet
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Jul 19 12:43:43 EDT 2005



Cookies Compared To TVs Tracking Usage
"Legendary technology columnist Walt Mossberg claims in a recent column that if someone's TV reported information back to a company to use or sell for advertising purposes, without that person's knowledge, they would be outraged... But that TV outrage may not be as pronounced as one might think. TiVo, the digital video recording service, has been collecting viewing information for some time. Users of TiVo Basic cannot opt out of that collection, but Plus users can by making a phone call."
Full story - WebProNews
Submitted by Anonymous, Mon Jul 18 09:35:24 EDT 2005



Spyware pushes computer users to toss machines
"Add personal computers to the list of throwaways in the disposable society. On a recent Sunday morning when Lew Tucker's Dell desktop computer was overrun by spyware and adware - stealth software that delivers intrusive advertising messages and even gathers data from the user's machine - he did not simply get rid of the offending programs. He threw out the whole computer."
Full story - marinij.com
Submitted by Anonymous, Sun Jul 17 09:13:37 EDT 2005



Dell refutes spyware charge
"Dell has rejected allegations that its PCs come pre-loaded with an intrusive application that spies on users' surfing habits. The equipment manufacturer said there was nothing untoward about My Way Search Assistant despite complaints from customers that the toolbar impares computer performance, changes browser settings and is difficult to remove."
Full story - The Register
Submitted by Anonymous, Fri Jul 15 11:20:04 EDT 2005



Giving New Meaning to 'Spyware'
"Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously said that he couldn't define obscenity, but that he knew it when he saw it. The same has long been the case with spyware. It's not easy to define, but most people know it when parasitic programs suck up resources on their computer and clog their browsers with pop-up ads."
Full story - Wired News
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Jul 12 11:16:00 EDT 2005



Adware's second act
"About nine months ago, newly hired WhenU CEO Bill Day decided he was going to clean up his company's reputation. WhenU, a 5-year-old, so-called adware company that makes its money by selling targeted advertising delivered to PCs via software that's sometimes unknowingly downloaded by Web surfers, was becoming persona non grata with Web surfers tired of unsolicited pop-up ads."
Full story - CNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Jul 12 08:51:15 EDT 2005



Adware Tries to Clean Up Its Image
"Don't look now, but the adware industry is trying to shed its pariah status -- the lowly image it has among not only consumers and privacy advocates, but also some investors."
Full story - Technology Review
Submitted by Anonymous, Tue Jul 12 08:49:48 EDT 2005



Microsoft denies its antispyware favors Claria
"The beta version of Microsoft AntiSpyware previously recommended that users quarantine several products from Claria, but this changed last week. According to a statement published by Microsoft, the downgrade in threat level merely represents an effort to be "fair and consistent with how Windows AntiSpyware (Beta) handles similar software from other vendors." The news comes at a sensitive time, as Microsoft is reportedly in acquisition talks with Claria."
Full story - CNet
Submitted by Anonymous, Mon Jul 11 13:03:10 EDT 2005



Is It Spyware or Adware?
""People are used to antivirus programs where everything is black and white. Spyware and adware fall more into a gray area," said Kraig Lane, Symantec's product manager. Symantec's new Norton Internet Security AntiSpyware Edition labels some adware "low risk" and recommends that users leave it alone, instead of deleting it."
Full story - TechNewsWorld
Submitted by Anonymous, Thu Jul 7 15:18:21 EDT 2005








Other resources on SPYWARE, TROJANS, AND OTHER NASTY THINGS:
  • Anti-Spyware Coalition Web Site
  • WebTechGeek.com spyware page
  • SimplyTheBest.com
  • Cotse.Net: Free Privacy Tools




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