Anti-Spyware Vendors Stop Detecting WhenU

Really?

edit: Just read the post. OH WOW! I guess shady business is shady business no matter what side you're on.

Something stinks.

If a ad ware product meets certain criteria IE authorized installs,no added spy ware, and can be easily removed using add/remove programs, then it should be de-listed. Then you just have to make sure you know what you are downloading to your computer. As long as the user is given a choice before or during installation of software that has bundled ad ware, there should be no problem and the people that make these ad ware/spy ware removal programs can concentrate on the serious threats like the new CWS infections.

Why not just make a good word pad or html utility if you are not really interested in getting rid of scummy spyware and adware and whatever the **** gator call's it scumware now.
Don't alienate the whole anti-spyware community by selling out to the Bad guys!!!!!
I get the whole profit thing, but if that's all they care about then they are definitely in the wrong business
John

I had some trust in AdAware...not any more.

Well,
Its Spy Search and Destroy all the way bye bye Ad aware. Or is it Buy Adaware "and will remove from our database "

Spyware S&D is no better.
Install Spyware S&D.
Click "Mode / Advanced Mode".
Click "Settings / Ignore Products".
You will find four products that are set to ignore by default.

New.net
Sidestep

I just unchecked and ran, at least they give you the option.

also MySearch

My Spybot S&D was not set to ignore WhenU. Perhaps you have the old version.

Hmm... I just checked Spybot (version 1.3.1TX) and there's nothing checked under "Ignore Products". Perhaps you have an older version?

i hate to say it they are making ms anti-spyware look better all the time

Maybe MS paid them off to so that MS can look better.:o

Once again, the almight dollar prevails over doing the right thing.

"Oddly Howes finds that Aluria, the first vendor slammed for such a practice, does detect WhenU as spyware via their new Security Center 4.0."

That won't be the case by the next update if it hasn't already been removed from detection. See below

»www.whenu.com/whenu_solu ··· ion.html

They're kidding, right?

Don't get spyware in the first place. Either tighten up IE or use another browser. Only use GPL p2p applications.

Haha, what world do YOU live in?

It's getting to the point where any of these programs will be rendered useless.

Hey for all you Windows users, here is a handy tool from MS to help prevent viruses and such, especially for those of you who log in with an administrator account.

»msdn.microsoft.com/libra ··· 2004.asp

It's not a fix all, but another helpful tool.

how about everyone just wait and see what Lavasoft's reply is to Eric's posting on their boards before jumping off a possibly leaky ship into the pool of flaming adware / spyware / malware...

The sky is not falling... yet..

Maybe the sky isn't falling, but it's sure looking shaky at the moment.

WHAT THE F ADAWARE! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON OUR SIDE NOT TAKING GRUBBY DEALS FROM SCUM LIKE WHENU!!

What the hell Adaware!? You're supposed to be on OUR side not taking scummy bribes from trash like WhenU!!

Edit: Why didn't my previous fullcaps post show up earlier?

I am also awaiting Lavasoft's reply

I hope someone posts AAW's reply here

Yeah, they reply by deleting the post.

First Lavasoft - a mainstay of my arsenel for a couple years, along with Spybot, then Giant. All three are now apparently compromised. I just verified WareWolf's statement - ***DAMN! New.net and LSP.New.net, a real nasty one... Unbelieveable!

I use the old Giant Anti-spyware, and so far I like it, but I'll assume that it'll go the way of the Adaware and Spybot and cave to CORPORTATE GREED... already MS's beta doesn't detect as much as when Giant owned it - let's hope they do better with the final version.

I'm no MS basher, but I'm not holding my breath for MS to do the right thing.

Instead of an anti-spyware consortium, what we need is an anti-ADWARE consortium, immune from the bribes and backroom dealings and intimidation from so-called companies that call themselves "legit", with a simple Mission Statement:

"If it installs itself, with or without user permission, and serves up advertisements, we will do everything in our power to acquire the ability to detect and remove it."

I'm glad I never bought Adaware or Spybot. What a waste...

If this keeps up, I'll have separate machines, Windows PC's, off the internet to keep them immune from spyware, and Linux desktops/laptops for online browsing and e-mail.

This is why I have ad-blocking software. This is why I have a customized hosts file. This is why I block Flash. One thing perpetrates the other, however unrelated technologically-speaking.

I don't want advertisements - at all. PERIOD. Perhaps erroneously, I lump flashy banner and skyscraper ads right up therre with scumware. It's on my machine, it's annoying and I don't want it.

The best ads I've every seen online are the simple text ads that Google puts in during a search. Those I can live with. The rest can go to hell.

..bastards.

Microsoft tends to be anti anyone but Microsoft. And they have enough billions that it's tough to buy them. If anything it's more likely they'd be overzealous rather than underzealous when it comes to wanting to remove stuff not written or sold by Microsoft.

I think Kolla put them in that last precisely so that you COULD filter them back out again.

In other words, they're on a probation of sorts, not truly evil but not yet proven enough to be removed from the list.

»msmvps.com/donna/archive ··· 732.aspx

Either that, or he's joined the dark side too.

-- B

Ok , so what's next now ?

Ad Aware that will bundle it's free version with Gator and Istbar ?

WhenU should NEVER have been removed from the detection list.It's still a nasty and sneaky program that is JUNK and should never be installed an any computer.

Lavasoft is asking for trouble ans backlash with this.

I really don't like this new trend and it should stop NOW

I wonder what kind of outroar Lavasoft is getting on their forums right now...

Shady.
Ill give it one more year before none of the programs work anymore.

Either that, or you'll be forced into one particular Ad/Spyware camp, and are able to use their removal tools to keep you clean from all the others.

So basically... Some people pay for legitimate detection tools (I paid for, or rather, the family paid for, Ad-Aware SE Pro)and they're removing items from their detection lists?

That really irks me.

.

It very well could be the case that some formal legal suit was filed, or the threat of one has been stated.

Sadly, unless you have unlimited income it would be impossible to stop.

Another possibility is some form of a restraining order, stating that until proven otherwise, they must STOP removing XYZ.

Spybot may have the answer, let the USER uncheck anything, this way any legal problems are useless against these Sleazy companies.

IMHO, this is why Microsoft decided to get into this RANSOM game. You want to DUMP junk on a PC, pay here first!

The only hope these FREE Adware tools have to remain in the future, is to put more responsibility on the PC user, like a SELECT ALL, or like SPYBOT has now, click, unclick. This way they can save TON's of legal fees and we may actually have CLEAN PC's.

Surprised more of these people who provide these utilities have not done that yet.

It's all about the benjamins.

--------------------
www.casacertified.org

...too soon to comment, but let me ask you all who uses one or more of these great FREE anti-spyware tools, what have you done on your part to support their existence?
I am not rich nor has extra cash but every few months or so, I donate $5-$10 to the makers of SpywareBlaster, Spybot s&d, ToolbarCop and couple of other programs (not necessarily anti-spyware tools but help spot them, 1) StartupControl Panel by Mike Lin, ProcessExplorer by SysInternals.com) I use to fight against spyware infections.

I personally, do not get infected with spyware, the weakest link is always the user. If your browser settings are configured properly, system and browser is patched up, pop-ups are blocked, if you do not go to deep, dark waters when you are surfing and never install/run applications from unknown/ not reputable sources, then I do not see how anyone could get infected.

Eric'd post on the Lavasoft forum was deleted and not answered by Lavasoft. Not the response I'd expect from a company with any integrity.

Edit: This just appeared on the Lavasoft forum from Corrine:

"Sorry, there was a bit of a snafu when consolidating threads on the same subject into one topic. I know, of all threads to have a mixup on. However, I assure you that it was totally unintentional. In the event that it cannot be properly restored, following is a copy from DSLR that was copy/pasted here. Of course the posters are welcome to repost.

Our appology for any confusion. "

Lavasoft's reply on the forums is that WhenU isn't considered a high enough threat to have in the definitions anymore. Oddly enough, Microsoft has it set to a threat level of HIGH.

Go figure.

I still think there's something shady going on here.

This sounds like the beginning of some true software wars.

While researching this topic I found an interestingly informed comment here:

»www.wilderssecurity.com/ ··· 981.html

The author implied that part of WhenU's s/w (knowingly or not) deleted other software that was 'hostile' to it. (AdAware)

I'm just using my imagination here. If anti-adware can team up with adware... what's to prevent viruses from altering their own definitions in your av s/w? How many newbies will notice when a particularly useful app deletes its competition off their hard drives and redirects the action to itself? I can easily imagine 'innovative' new ware using the techniques made famous by CWS, dyfuca, etc., etc. One of the mottos of the computer industry is "whatever works". Companies advertise because IT WORKS.

The spyware problem is *not* going to get better. As more functionality becomes available, it will be exploited. As more kiddies get access, more will try their hand at a little havoc. The makers of mayhem, unchecked, will only hone their skills. Hell, other countries may even be financing this kind of thing as covert retribution towards 'the west'. I dunno. MS leaves gaping security holes open in all versions of their software. They even create new ones. Soon "Media Player" will scan your HD for pirated or copied music... and probably delete it. "Welcome to Windows"...

The more accessible the technology becomes, the more the dregs of humanity will use it against 'the world'. Having been online for more than 12 years, I have experienced the devolution myself. I don't even feel like the things I just wrote are pessimistic. Let me put it another way... think about crowd control (aka security) in a bar that can only hold twenty people. Then think about the crowd control in a stadium that seats five million, and is constantly growing to accept more. You have to watch out for yourself.

BTW, FYI, I use spybot s&d religiously, it has been able to fix all of my problems except CWS variants, which I had to dig out myself. The latest version has NO products ignored by default, there's a whole CATEGORY for LSP (New.Net, etc). Also, I did verify the above link to Lavasoft. I have tried AdAware several times but I do not use it because it was always unable to get rid of my pertinent infections.

so ...these kind of companies who install stuff silently and according to courts there allowed to do it ?

isnt that breaking Privacy laws....? because what these companies exactly do is "observe marketing habits"

in other words,it's like 1 guy sneaking up to u and stalking u on the street while ur shopping......

absolute balls it is

i'm talking bout the companies who whine that there being targeted via Spyware companies liek WhenU and Claria (formally known as Gain)