-=PCTechTalk=- Re: microsoft anti spyware

Don, my 'non-sequitur' response was based on Cris' statement that nothing
extra was done after the install... nothing was changed, and the default
settings were left as is. I'm merely stating that the default settings
'should be fine'. Sure, if you like to tweak it, you can.

Regarding the BLOCK list, its not allowing some spyware and disallowing
others. Now, I'm going off the top of my head, cause I haven't checked MS
AntiSpyware settings since I installed it months ago. But, basically, the
block list should be for items that you might consider spyware but in
general are considered harmless. Example? RealVNC. For you or anyone that
doesn't know what it is, VNC allows someone to remotely access a host
computer. If I have it installed on my system so that I can remotely control
my computer from another location, then I don't want it blocked. But, let's
say I find VNC on my computer and never authorized anyone to put it on
there. MS AntiSpyware probably won't pick it up as spyware or adware cause
it is a legitimate app for legitimate purposes. But, I may want to block it.
So, I put it on the BLOCK list.

Like I said, I haven't touched the settings in MS AntiSpyware since I first
installed it, but I just basically glanced at them and, other than making
sure its all set to run automatically, I just left the default settings. 

Now, if you want a play-by-play on each option in the settings, that's a
different story. That can be done. But, the intention of my reply and post
to Cris was not to say 'leave the default settings.' Rather it was to say
that if you left the default settings it's already set up to protect you
pretty sufficiently.

---Troth



-----Original Message-----
From: pctechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:pctechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Don
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 9:29 AM
To: pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: microsoft anti spyware

Troth,

Your response is a non-sequitor.  How does one check to find out what the 
settings are and how does one change them if we don't like them?  Also, if 
the default settings are to ignore some or all adware, that is certainly NOT

fine even if all scanners are on.

Don



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "~OoO~" <sirtroth@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 8:58 AM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: microsoft anti spyware


> Default settings should be fine. The BLOCK list should be for specific 
> items
> that the default settings don't pick up as spyware. But, default settings
> with all scanners ON should be fine.
>
> ---Troth
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pctechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:pctechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Cris
> Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 8:28 AM
> To: pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- microsoft anti spyware
>
> How do we check our settings in microsoft's anti-spyware
> program?
> I click on things and it says that I do not have anything in
> my blocked list.
> I hadn't done anything 'extra' when I installed it. I just
> installed it and let it run.
> Have done the updates.
> Cris
>
> SpywareInfo: http://www.spywareinfo.com
> and    http://www.spywareinfo.net
> This edition of the Spyware Weekly Newsletter is archived
> permanently at
> http://www.spywareinfo.net/july20,2005
>
>
> Microsoft Going Soft On Adware
> Permalink | Top
> First there were the rumors that Microsoft is considering
> buying Claria, the company responsible for creating and
> distributing Gator adware. Shortly thereafter, it was
> discovered that Microsoft's antispyware program has been
> altered by a program update to ignore all adware
> automatically.
> This seems almost like a repeat of the situation with
> Yahoo's antispyware toolbar last year. Yahoo and Claria have
> significant financial dealings through Overture, which is
> owned by Yahoo. Claria makes the bulk of its income through
> Overture. Not long after Yahoo included an antispyware
> scanner into their Internet Explorer toolbar, it was
> discovered that they had altered it to ignore adware.
> Yahoo's toolbar uses spyware detection code licensed from
> PestPatrol (now owned by Computer Associates). PestPatrol's
> own antispyware program did not have the ability to ignore
> all adware, only individual products if the user chose to
> ignore them. After experiencing a massive run of bad
> publicity, Yahoo changed their toolbar so that it would
> detect adware by default.
> Microsoft's first response to questions about their
> antispyware program ignoring Claria was to refuse to
> comment. Their second response was to flatly deny that
> Claria is receiving any special favors. They claim now that
> the change was made in order to be "fair and consistent"
> with how Microsoft AntiSpy handles adware from companies
> similar to Claria. As it turns out, several adware products
> have been placed on AntiSpy's ignore list.
> Whatever the reason, this means that Gator, Dashbar and
> other adware could install on a computer supposedly
> protected by Microsoft AntiSpy, without warnings popping up.
> Since Microsoft altered their users' settings without
> informing them, those users may not realize that they have
> to change their ignore list in order to detect these adware
> programs. If a user runs a scan of their hard drive, those
> adware programs will not show up in the results because they
> are on the ignore list.
> The question that needs to be asked now is: "Can Microsoft's
> AntiSpy program be trusted?". It is bad enough that they
> decided to move all adware products to the ignore list by
> default. However loudly the adware industry screams that
> their software is not malicious, the fact remains that very
> few people want it on their computer. People use antispyware
> scanners because they expect them to find adware as well as
> the truly malicious stuff.
> The problem is that Microsoft used an update to the program
> to alter their users' settings, without informing them. They
> may think that adware should be on the ignore list but I
> seriously doubt that their users would agree. Their users
> expected that the program would alert them to the presence
> of adware. Since as far back as late March, these users have
> been unprotected by a program they were told they could
> trust. Well, that trust has been broken. Can this program
> ever be trusted again?
> Update After I wrote this but, thankfully, before sending it
> out, more rumors have surfaced about the Microsoft/Claria
> acquisition talks. According to an article on ClickZ News,
> Microsoft has abandoned the idea of purchasing Claria. It
> would seem that the bad press they received over the rumor
> caused them to abandon the idea. I believe that odd sound
> you hear is the entire internet breathing a sigh of relief.
>
>
>
>
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