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| Spyware definition finalised |
| Sunday, October 30, 2005 at 10:50 by Rich Kavanagh |
The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC), an alliance of technology companies and public interest groups, have announced several key accomplishments in its ongoing effort to help users combat the unwanted and often dangerous spyware infesting their computers.
As both Cyber-Security and Domestic Violence Awareness Month draws to a close, ASC unveiled its final, consensus definition of spyware, which was developed by coalition members including major anti-spyware companies, software developers and public interest groups. The definitions were further shaped by almost 400 comments submitted by organizations and individuals to the ASC Web site. The final document, available now on the ASC Web site, will serve as the foundation for all of the coalition's future anti-spyware efforts.
The coalition announced the first of those efforts today: an ASC "risk modeling" document that outlines the objective criteria anti-spyware vendors use to determine whether to identify a piece of software as "spyware." The document, which goes into considerable technical detail about the specific behaviours that make certain technologies risky, will help users better understand how the products that protect their computers work, as well as offering anti-spyware companies guidelines for their own proprietary rating processes, but still keeping a robust marketplace for anti-spyware technologies.
Just as the spyware definition laid the groundwork for the risk-modeling document, the risk-modeling document sets the stage for the eventual development of industry-wide "best practices." As was the case with the definitions document, the risk modeling language will be open for public comment until November 27, 2005 on the ASC Web site.
Ari Schwartz, Associate Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology said,
"Thanks to the exceptional commitment of the organizations and companies that formed the ASC, we've accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time. The spyware definitions give those of us united in the battle against spyware a common language, while the risk-modeling document clearly lays out the behaviours that make certain software dangerous. These developments move us closer to a world in which consumers have the upper hand over those who create malicious, unwanted technology.
The ASC also announced its first ever public meeting, scheduled to take place February 9, 2006 at the Hyatt Capitol Hill in Washington DC. The meeting offers members of the public as well as organizations and industries that don't work directly with the ASC an opportunity to learn about the latest anti-spyware efforts, share their spyware-related concerns and participate in efforts to combat the problem. Confirmed keynoters include FTC Chairman Deborah Majoras and Wall Street Journal Columnist Walt Mossberg.
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| And so people that create spy-ware just need to read this document and can make spy-ware that avoides all detection, oh joy. |
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| 400 comments made to the document!!
This is bad in a bad kinda way. We will have to run every piece of spyware through a intensive reviewal process. Then I can guess the spyware makers could lodge an objection wasting more time while the spyware steals or damages data. Comitee after comitee, computer analysis after analysis to see if the criteria is met fully. |
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| not really, the makers of the good anti-spyware scanners left this organization when they started allowing software companies that produce syware and adware to join. |
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