Google's Anti-Spyware Project

peterfa writes "Sun and Google have teamed up and started a project called Stop Badware. This project aims to expose all the spyware and adware bundled in software and the companies that are responsible. While it's funded by Sun and Google, the research will be done by Oxford and Harvard."

Re:What is there to research?

[networkBoy]

Actually the research should be done as it will help the developers of OSs and apps to understand how spyware gets on systems. If most spyware arrives because someone installed Bonzai Buddy then that is different than exploits being used to install without user consent. While they are both bad I think it is vital to OS developers to know why and how this stuff gets there.
-nB

How about...

[doorbot.com]

How about also exposing the companies that pay for the information gathered by spyware/adware? In other words, the ones actually funding it...

/Didn't RTFA

Damage control

[dangitman]

Is this a PR move designed to make Google look less evil, after the world reacted in disgust to their censorship in China?

4 Google stories in one day?

[Anonymous Coward]

This must be a record! Come on - I know Slashdot has become synonymous with the Google Blog, but this is crazy!

Re:What is there to research?

[SilverspurG]

What we need is a legal precedent set to establish that, yes, a computer belongs solely to the person who shelled out the cash for it. No, it does not belong, in whole, part, or by EULA, to any idiot who manages to package their badware with some stupid search toolbar, screensaver, or desktop theme.

Re:What is there to research?

[orangeguru]

Hmmm. Many Windows loopholes are well known - but the main reason for spyware gets installed are the users themselves. Either they don't fix loopholes (by running windows patches), use safe browsers or they simply can't resist the temptation to install any crap they find.

Sure - we can't blame it all on users and their badly managed/protected systems - but some safer computing with more brains could help ... a lot ...

Google profits from spyware

[slashkitty]

Google has a reason to keep spyware around. They make millions from selling ad space on their search results and affiliates TO the adware companies. Do a search for "smiles", "screensavers" or "Spyware removal" and you'll see lots of ads for adware/spyware!

Google should do less evil by not accepting ads from these companies.

Re:What is there to research?

[John Bokma]

"They should fund some OS project to help users" Ah, yeah, I forgot, the problem is CS, not the user behind the computer... Can you explain how OS is going to make a lot of users understand that a program they get via email / messenger can do more then they expect? Or are you just hoping that the lack of support of some hardware, the "use the source, Luke" and other nitfy OS extras are going to scare them away from the computer for good, so that you are again one of the 733+ UberH4x0rz?

Re:What is wrong with slashdot these days?

[eyepeepackets]

"...not one mentions GNU/Linux..."

It's because just about everyone in the industry has or is about to find a way to make a buck off the horrid situation we're all in due to Microsoft's garbage OS: When people start dumping Microsoft products then the easy money is over and they have to start doing some real work again.

The flip side of this same coin: Some "terrorists" or other group decides that giving a small group of Darkside hackers some serious money is an option and then one day most of our business IT infrastructure gets hit in a big way. Very likely, this scenario, but no one wants to acknowledge the threat or the vulnerability because they're all focused on their spreadsheets.

About /. specifically, this site stopping being a Linux-mostly site about four years ago -- haven't you noticed the amount of Microsoft ads here? Sheesh.

"informal efforts"

[TubeSteak]

The very last sentance of TFA says:

There are also many informal efforts that produce utility programs to remove particular sorts of spyware and adware.

Informal?

Because the effort isn't backed by a multi-national company, it is informal?

I wouldn't classify [Your Favorite Ad/Spyware Program Here] as an informal effort. Programs like Spy-Bot and Ad-Aware are most definitely not informal. MS's spyware remover, various virus scanners, etc... most definitely not informal efforts.

Maybe the reporter was talking about those various small programs written to specifically root out certain infestations?

Re:Once you go Mac, you never go back!!!

[pho3nixtar]

I just can't follow this line of reasoning. What are the majority of computer users using, PC's with Windows or MAC's with OS? What platform are most of the viruses/spyware/adware written for? PC's with Windows running on them or MAC's with OSX on them? I enjoy the elegance and performance of MAC's, but don't try to sell me on how much more secure they are than Windows. MAC's may be more secure out of the box than Windows, but that's just out of the box. Come tell me that this still holds true after MAC's have become the most owned and used computer in the market and have had to withstand blast after blast after blast from the cracking community.