StopBadware.org Announces Addition of Four Software Programs to Badware Watch List; FunCade, Jessica Simpson Screensaver on List25 May 2006
StopBadware.org, the consumer protection initiative developed to combat spyware, today announced the addition of four software programs to its "Badware Watch List," created to spotlight software programs that embed malicious spyware without the online user's knowledge or consent.
These reports are the most recent in a series released by Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Oxford University's Oxford Internet Institute as a part of an ongoing effort to battle malicious spyware programs.
"Today we're identifying four more applications pointed out by consumers that failed our tests for badware," said John Palfrey, co-director of StopBadware.org and Executive Director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. "We hope that the light shed on these programs will encourage these and other application developers to change their deceptive ways. These reports, along with the others listed on our "Badware Watch List," will hopefully serve as an effective tool to help consumers make a more informed decision before they download one of these applications."
Whether spyware, incessant pop-ups or other obtrusive programs, badware today plagues millions of people by turning their computers into machines to spy on them and steal their personal or private information, or bombard the user with unwanted pop-up advertising with no way to remove it. Like viruses and worms, badware becomes embedded in a computer by downloading games or software or just by visiting certain websites.
"We need to ramp up ways to aggressively and accurately judge code," said Jonathan Zittrain, co-director of StopBadware.org and Professor of Internet Governance and Regulation at Oxford University. "By helping people know the hallmarks of bad code, we can help maintain an Internet where code that's good can thrive, even if it comes from obscure or amateur sources."
In this series of reports, Stopbadware.org examined four applications identified by consumers who submitted stories and technical reports and have added them to the "Badware Watch List."
The first program, "FunCade," is a gaming software application that comes bundled with BullsEye and NaviSearch, both adware programs. While it claims that is has "no spyware," its components are labeled malware, spyware, or a trojan by most popular anti-badware applications. In addition, removing the FunCade software does not automatically uninstall the bundled adware and spyware programs.
Team Taylor Made's "Jessica Simpson Screensaver" is the second application identified in this round of reports. The program bundles more than a dozen pieces of software, including undisclosed adware, a 'dialer' which automatically dials for-pay porn sites with a modem (if connected), and toolbars that modify the installer's browser.
"The Jessica Simpson Screensaver from Team Taylor Made is one of the worst badware applications we've ever seen," said Palfrey. "It is an almost textbook example of a small software vendor using deceptive means to fund a software business."
The third program identified, "UnSpyPC," is an application that incorporates a non-standard hard drive scan upon installation and also identifies legitimate software, such as VMWare, WinPatrol, and Windows Defender as spyware. It also adds an UnSpyPC icon to Internet Explorer without notification.
WinFixer 2005 and 2006 have also been identified as badware by StopBadware.org. Both versions of WinFixer deceptively attempt to get the user to purchase the full version of its software by making exaggerated claims about "severe system threats" on the user's computer, while also making it difficult to opt out of purchasing the software altogether. WinFixer 2005 also installs a rootkit, which can make the program difficult to detect and remove.
Launched on January 25, 2006, StopBadware.org's serves as a central resource to help educate people about badware and spotlight those companies who embed these programs into downloadable software applications. To date, over 5,000 people have joined the StopBadware.org community.
"We have made great strides since the launch of this initiative in January, and as the StopBadware.org community grows, so does our ability to put the spotlight on more software programs like these," said Palfrey.
Internet users can visit StopBadware.org to check whether programs they want to download are infected with badware and report programs they have encountered that include malicious software such as spyware, incessant pop-up ads or other obtrusive programs.
StopBadware.org will continue to collect information from the public and to publish short, user-friendly reports on programs they have identified as badware, as well as more detailed academic studies on the problem of badware.
To download copies of the reports, please visit http://www.StopBadware.org.
About Stopbadware.org:
Stopbadware.org is the largest consumer protection initiative combating spyware and is led by Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Oxford University's Oxford Internet Institute. Consumer Reports WebWatch serves as an unpaid special advisor. The initiative empowers consumers to fight back against badware, and is supported by high-tech companies, including Google, Lenovo and Sun Microsystems. To learn more, visit http://www.StopBadware.org.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
Source: usnewswire
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