FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
James Martins
+1-501-639-8471
HOLLYWOOD, FL
December 29th, 2004
THE YEAR OF SPYWARE
In retrospect, the year 2004 made significant
milestones that will forever change the future of internet
spyware related issues. Various spyware issues were addressed
and a fast growing market evolved around spyware.
Prior to the past year, spyware was a term
that could refer to almost anything Internet-related (from
innocuous cookies and applets to keyloggers and hacker exploits)
and was largely unaddressed.
By April 2004, the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) and the U.S. Congress managed to define spyware as
“software that aids in gathering information about
a person or organization without their knowledge and which
may send such information to another entity without the
consumer’s consent, or asserts control over a computer
without the consumer’s knowledge” and as early
as January in the past year, various bills aimed at curtailing
spyware were being drafted by the U.S. Congress, and some
were passed into law as late as October in the year.
Many spyware companies cleverly evaded legislation
while making their products more resistant to removal. Spyware
remained a growing problem which routinely annoyed computer
users. Some spyware install unwanted toolbars, display pop-up
ads, modify system files, change security zone settings,
change browser home pages, record and transmit user keystrokes
to unknown third parties.
While free anti-spyware products such as
Spybot Search & Destroy and Lavasoft Inc.'s Ad-Aware
helped in remedying the situation, companies marketing their
anti-spyware products exacerbated the problem: by realizing
that their business model wasn’t naturally watertight,
many resulted to coaxing customers into purchasing their
software.
The FTC, in response to this development,
filed a case in October 2004 against Seismic Entertainment
Productions Inc. and SmartBot.Net Inc., accusing the companies
of secretly installing unsolicited software on computers,
causing systems to be overwhelmed by pop-up advertisements,
and then sending them alarming messages saying they needed
to buy "Spy Wiper" or "Spy Deleter"
for $30.
Other anti-spyware companies have taken
subtler approaches. For instance; install Computer Associate's
eTrust PestPatrol (version 5.0.0.0, DAT versions 9/22/2004
was used in our tests), a popular anti-spyware product,
on a new computer with a fresh installation of Windows XP
Home (Version 2002 SP1 was used in our tests), make sure
you have opened Microsoft internet explorer at least once
previously (you may need to complete the Internet Connection
Wizard but you do not need to connect to the Internet),
then direct eTrust PestPatrol to run a scan for spyware
and it will surely find “pests” on the brand
new unconnected computer. In fact in our tests it found
two with one labeled “System Spy”. Such scans
are usually the basis for fallacious claims by anti-spyware
companies that 9 out of 10 Internet-connected PCs are infected
with spyware which in turn spreads more fear, uncertainty
and doubt.
Industry analysts at IDC and Wachovia Securities
expect the anti-spyware software market to grow from the
current US$90 million to US$305-US$400 million by 2008.
Already security software behemoths McAfee and Symantec
have included anti-spyware solutions to their range of products.
Other heavyweights such as Yahoo, EarthLink and much recently,
Microsoft, have stepped into the market.
In particular, Microsoft’s entry into
the anti-Spyware business may have sounded the death knell
for smaller anti-spyware companies whose main clientele;
the desktop/consumer market, may prefer Microsoft’s
offering since it is widely expected that Microsoft’s
anti-spyware solution will be superior and more candid.
About SurveilleTech Software
“What you don’t know CAN hurt
you(TM).” - Developers of the e-Surveiller monitoring
and surveillance software, in use by enterprises, banks,
educational institutions, libraries, small business and
home users. e-Surveiller has received diverse media coverage
and was recently featured on WXIA-TV ATLANTA.
SurveilleTech is committed to protecting customer privacy
and legality and enlightening the public on spyware related
issues. Learn more about SurveilleTech at http://www.surveilletech.com
