So much for M$ anti spyware, gator is A-OK NOW

Microsoft Downgrades Claria Adware Detections

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1834607,00.asp

Microsoft's Windows AntiSpyware application is no longer flagging adware products from Claria Corp. as a threat to PC users.

Less than a week after published reports of acquisition talks between Microsoft Corp. and the Redwood City, Calif.-based distributor of the controversial Gator ad-serving software, security researchers have discovered that Microsoft has quietly downgraded its Claria detections.

Anti-spyware activist Eric L. Howes, who serves as a consultant to Sunbelt Software, discovered the default changes during a recent test that included four Claria applications: Dashbar, Gator, PrecisionTime and Weatherscope.

According to the results published by Howes, four different builds of the Windows AntiSpyware beta detected the Claria products, but the default recommendation was "ignore."

Prior to the recent tests, Microsoft's AntiSpyware tool detected Claria's products and presented users with a recommended action of "Quarantine."

Although the default has been changed to "ignore," users can still change the action to "Quarantine" or "Remove" via a drop-down menu.

Writing on the popular Broadband Reports security forum, Howes described the default changes as "troubling," coming so close on the heels of the acquisition talks between Microsoft and Claria.

According to Sunbelt president Alex Eckelberry, the default recommendation from Microsoft occurred on March 31. As part of a prior agreement, Microsoft is sharing adware/spyware definitions with Sunbelt.

Read more here about questions over the ownership of the Giant AntiSpyware code.

"At any rate, does this mean that Claria will, in fact, be purchased by Microsoft? Not necessarily. It could mean, however, that the two companies are working together in some other capacity, or that Claria has successfully lobbied Microsoft to change the default action. Or, it's a simple oversight," Eckelberry wrote in a blog entry that included screenshots of Microsoft's Claria detections.

In addition to the Gator-branded products, Claria's adware applications include eWallet, DateManager, WeatherScope and PrecisionTime. The company's behavior-tracking database of users' surfing habits is believed to be among the biggest in the world.



In the midst of increased consumer awareness and general distrust of the sector, Claria has attempted to clean up its reputation, distancing itself from some of the distribution affiliates that secretly installed its software, and making its software easier to remove.

However, critics argue that the adware products present a privacy threat and also degrades computer performance.

A recent spyware report from Webroot Software Inc. lists Claria's software as the second most prolific adware install, appearing on more than 2 percent of consumer desktops.

Webroot also counts Claria's GAIN application as the second biggest threat to desktop computers.

Stuff like this is why it's still good to have more than one anti-spyware app installed.

I wouldn't be surprised if MS changed this to avoid a potential lawsuit or something.

M$ is a company, its about profits.

Gator is not just a little company either, atleast not litlle enough to M$ could ignore completely.

Also, howsabout some politics on the top of this?:
Gator CPO at the Department of Homeland Security

Yeah, things are pickin' up real smooth...

:D

From /. pretty funny quote:

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Why would anyone rely on a security product of any kind owned by the same people as the OS? Not only are users subjected to this kind of tomfoolery, but in general marketing a security product for your own operating system is like correcting your own spelling test... best left to a third party.

Spyware works because Microsoft designed their softwarein such a way that lets it work. The premise of trusting their anti-spyware tools is ludicrous.

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:D

This isnt new.

Ad-Aware did this month's ago :dry:

Quote:

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"... It could mean, however, that the two companies are working together in some other capacity, or that Claria has successfully lobbied Microsoft to change the default action. Or, it's a simple oversight," Eckelberry wrote in a blog entry that included screenshots of Microsoft's Claria detections.

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Simple oversight, my arse... :dry:

This would, IMO, literally mean that everything Microsoft had been preaching, prior to this, regarding internet security and the threat of malicious commercial wares, has been nothing short of a lie on their part.

This being the case, how could anyone, home user or business professional alike, could even remotely consider taking them seriously regarding the overall security of Windows?


A damned joke is what this is. :angry:

well......it didn't take M$ long to fuck that up :lol:

Come on this is an old bed partner of Microsofts . It use to bug me apon a clean xp install, that bloody Alexia was there hiding in the weeds. :angry:


Edit : I still use Giant I don't want to rely on Microsoft to monitor my spyware thank you. :rolleyes:

no doubt, I was really impressed with that beta, too bad they are so gready

Quote:

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Originally Posted by muchspl3

no doubt, I was really impressed with that beta, too bad they are so gready

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Just installed MS spyware on my mom inlaws puter , Think I'll go back and put Giant on now. ;)


After reading again is n't Sunbelt the owner of Counterspy? Makes one wonder, oh the games people play ! :rolleyes: