Profitware

Profitware
Kelly Martin, 2004-11-26

Some of the largest anti-virus companies have virtually ignored the spyware problem because there is no profit incentive for them to do otherwise. Meanwhile, spyware companies make millions.

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Profitware 2004-11-27
Anonymous (1 replies)

I you believe bad software with no self-propagation mechanism is a virus, it may be because you haven't read any of the more informative literature about computer viruses, and you are using technical language in a very loose way for a web site oriented to people knowledgeable about computer security...

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True, but... 2004-12-01
Anonymous

I think the underlying question is, just because it's not technically a virus, does that mean anti-virus software shouldn't detect it? Most AV software already detects trojans that aren't technically viruses, for example. Why not spyware, too?
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Profitware 2004-11-27
WP

It's quite simple, too many spywhere removal/detection tools install they're own spywhere once done so you always end up with a 'new' problem. Maybe if some like CERT would initiate 1 single tool properly tested and validated... 2) spywhere removal is not as clear cut as worms or viruses and mostly ...

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Profitware 2004-11-28
Anonymous (1 replies)

The "most popular" anti-spyware solutions are not enterprise-enabled. So what enterprise would spend loads of money to micro-manage such a standalone product?

On the other hand there are at least 7 major enterprise-enabled anti-spyware packages that are available right now and three more that ar...

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Profitware 2004-12-01
Anonymous

Complete bull. Ad-Aware and Spybot both have enterprise versions available....

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Profitware 2004-11-29
Anonymous

Great article Kelly. Thanks for giving a truthful account of the problem and not some corporate slanted rant....

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Profitware 2004-11-29
Seed

All good Security techniques are usually initiated by Computer Science researchers - the EU piece of cool software and rest of the other "commercial" infosec tools/technologies are mere marketing buzzwords most of the times - At this point I think the question that is equally important is: "Have Com...

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My Solution To Viruses, SpyWare, & AdWare 2004-11-29
Jonathan Marks

Like I tell people who just like to drive 30 mph no matter what road they are on. If you want to be safe, stay home (& get out of my way) ? just kidding, but there is some truth to that.

Get one of the top Anti-Virus products you can reasonably afford. I personally use McAfee, which is powerful e...

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Profitware 2004-11-29
Anonymous

How about IE with high-slider security for internet zone, ActiveX, Javascript, Java disabled, XP Pro user account that can't write to registry, all mail with attachments automatically deleted by Outlook?

Best,
Fred Reed...

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Good article, but I don;t agree 2004-11-30
Nick Braak (1 replies)

2 main points that I don't agree with..

Vendors are sitting on the fence because larger accounts refuse to pay more. Not entirely so. Spyware/malware detection, prevention and removal requires a different type of expertise to virus/spam and doing it well takes time to get right. Smaller, nimbler ...

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Good article, but I don;t agree 2004-12-07
Anonymous

Another potential reason for going "going down the spyware" patch is the possibility of classifying some legitimate software as sypware and automatically removing it from the entire enterprise. I remember a case on this a few years ago in the UK where their primary software was classified as spywar...

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Profitware 2004-11-30
Anonymous

Most Anti Virus Companies do not develope their own software anymore. They wait for a smaller company to develope it then buy that company.

The big anti virus companies are probably afraid of spyware. A virus is easy, try getting rid of LOP compared to bagle....

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Profitware 2004-11-30
Anonymous

...what we heard was that AV companies can't put spyware detection in their software because spyware is not always illegally deployed; by detecting the spyware as a "virus" they are tarnishing the commercial property of a legal entity, and by removing it are likely to cause financial damage to those...

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Pointless Hype 2004-12-08
Anonymous

We all know you can get spyware and it's bad. If you update your operating system and software you are not going to get 16 programs installed automatically when you visit a website. Why limit it to 16 anyway? Why not say 412 million programs just to boost the effect, seeing as it is possible?...

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