You want a long post? You got one. (not you specifically JCC)
One of my favorite tech writers.(sorry about the formatting)
technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983
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New scandal: Downloaded software spied on your habits
(List of tainted programs appears at end)
Get rid of the spy programs mentioned below with Steve Gibson's OptOut software for Windows
April 2, 2000
By Al Fasoldt
Copyright ¸2000, Al Fasoldt
Copyright ¸2000, The Syracuse Newspapers
Have we lost our minds? The latest Internet scandal is almost too stupid to believe. But it's true. A company you never heard of has been spying on thousands upon thousands of Windows users over the Internet. It did this through secret "listening posts" in the form of small programs that slipped into your Windows PC.
How could it do such a thing? Programs you downloaded inserted the spy software into your PC without your knowledge or approval whenever you installed the downloaded software. In other words, if you downloaded My GetRight, to cite just one of hundreds of examples, My GetRight secretly installed the spy program when you tried it out. The spy program reported back to a company named Aureate Media on your personal Web habits. The spy software monitored which Web-page ads you click on and even added up how long you spent reading each ad. If you were online at the time, the spy software reported to its central agency immediately. Otherwise, it waited until you were online and sent it off then.
I'm describing this in the past tense intentionally. Aureate, which is now called Radiate, says it's stopped this kind of activity. It insists that it wasn't doing anything wrong when it collected data on your personal habits without your permission. You can read its own version of what it was doing at
radiate.com.
Radiate's business seems to be tracking the habits of people who visit Web sites. There's nothing wrong with that if you do it without being sneaky. But what it was doing until a few weeks ago went far outside what you or I would consider a normal business practice.
First, its spy software slipped into operation unannounced. You weren't asked if you wanted it. (Guess what? The people who designed that software knew you wouldn't go a long with it, and that's why they hid it away.)
Second, the spy software worked separately from the program you originally installed. In the My GetRight example, the spy program did its thing whether you ran My GetRight or not. All you had to do was install My GetRight onto your computer and the deed was done.
Third, the spy software stuck around even if you uninstalled the original program. What a charming way to gather data, right? Does this sound like a virus to you? Like a trojan horse? It does to me.
Because the spy program hangs around your Windows PC just like a virus or trojan horse would, you need to get rid of it. Go to grc.com and read what Steve Gibson says about the problem, then download OptOut, a program Gibson wrote to get rid of all traces of the invasive spy program.
How this kind of thing can happen is a mystery. If you went to your door and found a package you had ordered from the ABC Discount Electronics Store, you'd be very surprised if the new VCR you ordered came with a hidden microphone. You'd be outraged it it recorded every comment you made about TV commercials -- especially when you didn't give permission for anyone to do this, didn't know that it was happening and didn't ask to be included in any kind of public-opinion survey. And you'd be appalled if your neighbors didn't agree that such a thing invaded your privacy.
This seems simple. We are not fools.
Why, then, do some companies think it's OK to do such things on the Internet? Who among us is walking around wearing "KICK ME" signs on his back? Nobody that I can see.
Which of us has "Blithering Idiot" stenciled on his forehead? Nobody I know. How, then, could anyone in any legitimate business think we are all morons?
But that seems to be the case, and it's time to stand up and be counted. It's time to treat this kind of stealth violation of our privacy a little more seriously. It's not cute or funny. It's not OK. It's not acceptable.
The Internet is a playground unlike anything in human history. It's a wonderful place to explore, to have fun, to learn. Too bad we are learning the wrong kind of thing.
Programs that placed the spy software onto Windows PCs
123Search
3D-FTP
3d Anarchy
3rd block
Abe's FTP Client
Abe's Image Viewer
Abe's MP3 Finder
Abe's Picture Finder
Abe's SMB Client
Access Diver III
Acorn Email
AcqURL
ActionOutline Light 1.6
Active 'Net
Add URL
Add/Remove Plus!
Address Rover 98
Admiral VirusScanner
Advanced Call Center
Advanced Maillist Verify
AdWizard
Alive and Kicking
alphaScape QuickPaste
ASP1-A3
Auction Explorer
Aureate Group Mail
Aureate SpamKiller
AutoFTP PRO
AutoWeb
AxelCD
Beatle
Binary Boy
BinaryVortex
Blue Engine
buddyPhone 2
Calypso E-mail
CamGrab
Capture Express 2000
Cascoly Screensaver
CDDB-Reader
CDMaster32
ChanStat
Charity Banner
Cheat Machine
Check4New
ChinMail
Clabra clipboard viewer
Classic Peg Solitaire
ComTry Music Downloader
Crystal FTP
CSE HTML Validator Lite
CuteFTP 3.0
CuteFTP 3.0 beta
CuteFTP/Tripod
CuteMX
CutePage
Danzig Pref Engine
DateTime
Delphi Component Test
Delphi Tester
Dialer 2000
DigiBand NewsWatch
DigiCams - The WebCam Viewer
Digital Postman
DirectUpdate
DL-Mail Pro 2000
DNScape
Doorbell 1.18
Download Minder 1.5
Download Wonder
DownLoader v.1.1
Dwyco Video Conferencing
EasySeeker
EmmaSoft ChatCat
EmmaSoft dBrow
EmmaSoft KeepLan
EmmaSoft Soundz
EnvoyMail
EZ-Forms FREE
File Mag-Net
FileSplit
Folder Guard Jr.
FourTimes
Free Picture Harvester
Free Solitaire
Free Spades
Free Submitter Pro
FreeImageEditor
FreeIRC
FreeNotePad
FreeSite
FreeWebBrowser
FreeWebMail
FreeZip!
FTPEditor
GetRight
Go!Zilla
Go!Zilla WebAttack
GovernMail
Grafula
Gunther's PasswordSentry
HangWeb
hesci Private Label
HTML Translator
HTTP Proxy-Spy
Huey v1.8 Color Picker
Iban Technologies IP Tools 3.1
Idyle GimmIP
Idyle GimmIP
iFind Graphics
imageN
Infinite Patience
InfoBlast
InnovaClub
InstallZIP
Internet Tree
Internetrix
InterWebWord Companion
JetCar
jIRC
JOC Email Checker
JOC Web Finder
JOC Web Spider
KVT Diplom
LapLink FTP
LineSoft Download
LOL Chat
LOL Chat
Mail Them
Meracl FontMap
Meracl ImageMap Generator
Midnight Oil Solitaire
MirNik Internet Finder
More Space 99
MouseAssist
MP3 Album Finder
MP3 Fiend
MP3 Grouppie
MP3 Mag-Net
MP3 Renamer
Mp3 Stream Recorder
MP3INFO-Editor
MultiSender
Music Genie
MX Inspector BIG AD
My Genie Patriots
My Genie SE
My GetRight
NeatFTP
Net-A-Car Feature Car Screensaver
Net CB
Net Scan 2000
Net Vampire
NetAnts
NetBoard
Netbus Pro 2.10
NetCaptor 5.0
Netman Downloader
NetNak
NetSuck 3.10.5
NetTime Thingy
Network Assistant
NeuroStock
NewsBin
NewsShark
NewsWire
NfoNak
NotePads+
Notificator 1.0b
Octopus
Pattern Book
People Seek 98
Personal Search Agent
Photocopier
PicPluck
Pictures In News
Ping Thingy
PingMaster
Planet.Billboard
Planet.MP3Find
PMS
ProtectX 3
ProxyChecker
QuadSucker/Web
Quadzle Puzzles
QuikLink Autobot
QuikLink Explorer
QuikLink Explorer Gold Edition
QuoteWatch
QWallet
Real Estate Web Site Creator
Recipe Review
ReGet 1.6
Resume Detective
RingSurf
RoboCam 1.10
SaberQuest Page Burner
SBJV
SBWcc
Scout's Game
ScreenFIRE
ScreenFIRE - FileKing
ScreenFlavors
Sea Battle
Shizzam
Simple Submit
SimpleFind
SimpleSubmit v1.0
SK-111
Smart 'n Sticky
SmartBoard 200 FREE Edition
SmartSum calculator
SonicMail
Sound Agent
Space Central Screen Saver
Splash! Siterave
StartDrive
Static FTP
StockBrowser
Subscriber
SunEdit 2K
SuperIDE
Sweep
SweepsWinner
Text Transmogrifier
The Mapper
TheNet
TI-FindMail
TIFNY
Total Finger
Total Whois
Tracking The Eye
Trade Site Creator
TWinExplorer Standard
TypeWriter 1.0
UK Phone Codes
Vagabond's Realm
VeriMP3
Vertigo QSearch
Virtual Access
Visual Cyberadio
Visual Surfer
VOG Backgammon Main
VOG Backgammon Table
VOG Chess Main
VOG Chess Table
VOG Reversi Main
VOG Reversi Table
VOG Shell
VOG Shell
VOG Shell History
W3Filer
Web-N-Force
Web Coupon
Web Page Authoring Software
Web Registrant PRO
Web Resume
Web SurfACE
WEB2SMS
WebCamVCR
WebCopier
WebSaver
Website Manager
WebStripper
WebType
WhoIs Thingy
Win A Lotto
WinEdit 2000
Word+
Wordwright
WorldChat Client
Worm
www.devgames.com
xBlock
Zion
Zip Express 2000 |
