New Site to help identify Spyware/Malware

Apparently there is now a new term for all of the crap that is getting onto users PC's....

"Badware"

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Free website to list programs with spyware
By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY
Here's a new way to attack spyware: embarrass its purveyors.

A free website (StopBadware.org) launching Wednesday plans to provide a list of programs that contain spyware and other malicious software. It will also identify companies that develop the programs and distribute them on the Internet.

Consumers can then decide if a program is safe to download.

"For too long, these companies have been able to hide in the shadows of the Internet," says John Palfrey, who heads the Berkman Center of Internet & Society at Harvard Law School and is spearheading the project. "What we're after is a more accountable Internet."

The initiative is being run by Harvard and the Oxford Institute and is backed by high-tech heavyweights including Google and Sun Microsystems. Consumer Reports' WebWatch is serving as a special adviser.

Spyware invades PCs without users' knowledge when they download applications such as music file-sharing programs or screen savers, or visit certain websites. Often, spyware tracks Web-surfing habits and bombards victims with related pop-up ads. More nefarious versions monitor keystrokes to steal Social Security numbers or passwords for identity theft.

Also on the hit list of the StopBadware coalition are malicious "adware" programs that serve up onslaughts of pop-up ads or software that contains hidden viruses and worms.

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Rest of the USAToday

May be a useful link for those to check out before they download a particular program....


Edit: This looks like it will be primarily based upon user input, and as they go they will build a data base of bad programs,.....myself I will continue to use SpywareWarrior to determine what's good or bad...

Should be interesting to see what interest this will get from casual users or power users, or the ones that are "unaware" :p

Um thats an ugly term... Isn't the general term just "malware"

Shareware, freeware, malware, adware, spyware and now badware...when will it end? Doesn't Malware and Badware seem a bit redundant? In any event, maybe we can come up with some of our own standards since it's the cool thing these days :
Bloated Programs = Porkware
Cheap Programs = Scroogeware
Dumb Programs = Duhware
Programs that run in the background = Underware

In all seriousness, Dalek, it was a good link. I'm just making fun of people who keep coming up with these names. Reminds me of AV vendors having 16 different names for the same virus. :eek:

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Underware

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I'm Lost = "undies where"

Ive refered to this stuff as Parasite-Ware, and Abortion-Ware

And why is there new names?.. because most people dont understand or want to understand the names that are in use.. and marketing people hop in and coin a new phrase..

[QUOTE] Originally posted here by ShagDevil
[B]Shareware, freeware, malware, adware, spyware and now badware...when will it end? Doesn't Malware and Badware seem a bit redundant? In any event, maybe we can come up with some of our own standards since it's the cool thing these days :
Bloated Programs = Porkware
Cheap Programs = Scroogeware
Dumb Programs = Duhware
Programs that run in the background = Underware


HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF SOMETHING CALLED BLOATWARE!!!!!!!!!!!
itz got somethin to do wid ram....

[QUOTE] Originally posted here by chazz_cs
[B]

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Originally posted here by ShagDevil
Shareware, freeware, malware, adware, spyware and now badware...when will it end?

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It's all just Shitware :D