Microsoft To Offer Anti Spyware

"MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Microsoft plans to offer its own anti-spyware software, Chairman Bill Gates said Friday.

Gates said Microsoft will offer software to detect malicious applications and that the company will keep it up-to-date on an ongoing basis. He did not say when the software would be available or whether Microsoft would charge for it.

Although progress is being made against spam and viruses, Gates said the adware and malware problem is getting worse.

"This malware thing is so bad," he said in a speech at the Computer History Museum here. "Now that's the one that has us really needing to jump in."

It's also a problem that has affected Gates personally. He said his home PCs have had malware, although he has personally never been affected by a virus.

"I have had malware, (adware), that crap" on some home machines, he said.

Gates' comments came at the end of a busy Bay Area tour. Earlier Friday, Gates addressed a group of engineering students at the University of California at Berkeley."

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LOL...
I guess it's good to know that even Gates is still human:
"This malware thing is so bad,"
"I have had malware, (adware), that crap" on some home machines, he said.

I've always thought that if there's someone who can do something about that crap, it must be MicroSoft.

But what are they going to consider adware? There is plenty of software out there that gains access onto your system legally just because joe shmo didn't read the license agreement to kazaa or whatever...

Can MS get in legal trouble if they label something adware that has every legal right to be on a system? I can understand CWS being on the bad list, but what about something like Gator? Gator is something IIRC that asks to be installed through license agreements and whatnot...

Gator might not be but there sure are adware programs that take the legal approach to get onto a system. Does MS have the right to say they don't belong? Thats why I think anti-malware should belong to the open source community to manage... harder to point a finger at someone that calls your software malicious.

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Microsoft plans to offer its own anti-spyware software, Chairman Bill Gates said Friday

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Should I laugh or should I take this seriously? <insomnia kicking in>Microsoft needs to stop trying to own a share in every part of the computer world and really consider its current state by putting its man-power into making a product<OS> worth buying and not something that is just sugar"coded" for profit.</insomnia kicking out>

There are plenty of people out there who think//know that microsoft puts out a great product.

Do you run windows on your system? If you do and you think it's not worth buying why don't you send it to me. I'll pay shipping. Why not stick a finger in every honeypot? Isn't that what business is all about.

Hehehehehehe....I wonder if it'll pick up the "spyware" in Windoze.......

Found by windows adware search:

"windows cutomer experience improvment program" which is included with office 2003 and all aspects of office 2003

Interesting how things go in circles :)

I am sure that members as experienced as allenb~ will remember Windows 3.x days when Microsoft actually had their own AV product?

Also, MS bought e-Trust not so long ago.................and a free sample was included in the security update CD they issued.

It looks as if MS have realised how much money is in security products and are going back into the market?

I personally hope that this awareness cross-fertilises into their operating systems :)

Phew been inactive for a while now.....

i think MS making an anti-spyware/malware program is great, they are the only ones that can truely slow it down (i dont think anyone can really STOP it)

I mean some of these programs use flaws in microsoft explorer code to install themseleves without you knowing, so it will be easiest to update and fix.

I salute MS on this step. Lets just see what this software will be like.

I'm willing to bet that this program gets integrated in windows in SP3 and then we find out that its actually full of holes making it easyer to get spyware on your pc.

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There are plenty of people out there who think//know that microsoft puts out a great product.
Do you run windows on your system? If you do and you think it's not worth buying why don't you send it to me. I'll pay shipping. Why not stick a finger in every honeypot? Isn't that what business is all about.

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Its like war: if you are stretched out to much, you lose your effectiveness. Microsoft is pushing its limits<at least to me>of its effectiveness. It has to worry about Word, all versions of XP, and the list goes on...http://support.microsoft.com/default...=FH;EN-US;FAQS. I have xp pro on my system and has far been a better windows sys than others I have experienced but still needs to be taken more seriously. Sticking ones hand in every "cookie jar" is good business but they need to have a balance of business and logic to make something worth while and also to assure its surivival in the future.

To ensure it's survival in the future? Microsoft isn't going anywhere.
And now they are branching out into spyware removal and virus prevention//removal. I'd say that's a good step since the average home user doesn't know squat about squat it will be a lot easier for them to keep their systems clean.

You say they need to focus on one thing but you don't see the forest for the tree. Microsoft can just hire more employees to work on new projects. They don't just have one group working on everything. (<JP said that in another post but I figured it was worth repeating here.)

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if you are stretched out to much, you lose your effectiveness.

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In war this is true when you don't have the resources..
are you looking at microsoft as Billy Goat, his a dozen or two sales and merchandising ppl, and 7 programmers, and some battery hens dealing with the tech support? if you are MS would have fallen by the way long before Win95..

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JP said that in another post but I figured it was worth repeating here

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Like my next car.. I will be deciding fter I have tested it and read some reviews if I will recommend it.. and continue useing..

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They don't just have one group working on everything.

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WTF! My own programming experiences have made that common knowledge to me.

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...I'd say that's a good step since...

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True, but I don't believe I said anything against it!?! How far is one company going to go before it crumbles because it ignored its true meaning and another product,like linux, sneaks up and whips their ass!?! I'm not trying to piss people off with my words, just thoughts. nvm