U.S. Seeks to Stop a Spyware Operation
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WASHINGTON - In what regulators are calling a first, the government has asked for a court order to shut down a spyware operation.    The Federal Trade Commission says computer users who went to certain Web sites unknowingly had the snooping software downloaded onto their computers...
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Spyware, those annoying programs that snoop on a user's actions, remain a Windows-only phenomenon.
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Some experts doubt whether the California law will have much impact on illegal spyware activity. By George V. Hulme. A new California law aimed at curbing spyware, software applications that surreptitiously
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In what was speculated to be a reaction to a possible DoS attack, the Bush Administration has blocked at least some foreign visitor access to its official campaign Web site.
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What's the best remedy for this obnoxious software installed without PC users' notice? Here are assessments of five popular anti-spyware utilities, three free and two that sell for $30.-For The Post
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Companies and others that secretly install "spyware" programs on people's computers to quietly monitor their Internet activities would face hefty federal fines under a bill the House passed Tuesday.    The most egregious behaviors ascribed to the category of such software - secretly recording a person's computer keystrokes or mouse clicks - are already illegal under U.S...
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Measures to curb the use of "spyware" -- the computer programs that surreptitiously track people's online movements -- are steamrolling their way through Congress and a combined proposal could reach the President's desk before lawmakers break for the November election.
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In ordering a New Hampshire man to stop sending spyware that takes over parts of a user&#39;s computer, a federal judge has sent a warning shot at spammers in the United States.
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The FTC has won a settlement against a spyware operation responsible for installing malware on users' computers that tracked Internet activity, changed home-page settings and inserted a large frame onto browser windows that displayed ads.
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In what regulators are calling a first, the government has asked for a court order to shut down a spyware operation.
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The Federal Trade Commission has taken the first step to crack down on the wave of spyware that is being installed on user&#39;s machines without their knowledge.
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(InfoWorld) - Even though security technology is improving, spyware legislation is still needed from the U.S. Congress because many consumers don't use all the tech tools available to them, antispyware groups said Thursday. Antispyware groups including the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and StopBadware.org called on Congress to pass antispyware legislation during the last days of the 2006 session. Although some studies show a small decrease in the amount of spyware on PCs, the use of spyware that logs keystrokes seems to be going up, said Ari Schwartz, deputy director of the CDT. "The issue is everyone's still making money doing this," Schwartz said during an antispyware discussion in Washington, D.C. Spyware distributors identified by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the CDT can pull in tens of millions of dollars in revenue annually, he added. Antispyware technology can work, but 81 percent of home PC users don't use all three common security tools -- antispyware software, antivirus software and firewalls -- according to a survey published in December by AOL LLC and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). "We still think consumers are not protected," said Ron Teixeira, the NCSA's executive director. "If they don't take these three core measures, it doesn't matter what we do." The House of Representatives passed two antispyware bills in May 2005, but the full Senate has yet to act on similar legislation introduced there. Paul Cancienne, a legislative assistant for Representative Mary Bono, said his boss is optimistic that the Senate can still pass legislation and the two chambers can iron out their differences before Congress adjourns in October. Bono, a California Republican, pushed forward legislation that would require many software programs collecting personal information to get permission before doing so. Bono's Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act also would outlaw the act of taking over a computer in order to send unauthorized information or code, and diverting a Web browser without the permission of the computer owner. The bill, which passed the House by a 389-vote margin, would allow fines of up to US$3 million for spyware-like activity. Security software updates are exempted from the Bono bill. In addition to legislation, antispyware groups need to continue to educate consumers about online dangers and ways to combat them, said NCSA's Teixeira. Many people don't know how to properly use security software or are confused about products out there, he said. Many of the discussion's participants said legislation that would define illegal practices and give the FTC more power to work with overseas law enforcement agencies would help fight spyware. But not everyone there saw more legislation as an improvement. A new law could bring unintended consequences for the tech industry, said John Palafoutas, senior vice president for domestic policy and congressional affairs at tech trade group AeA. Palafoutas pointed to studies that say a significant percentage of time consumers spend online is looking at pornography sites, identified by StopBadware.org as major sources of spyware. "I'm wary of a legislative fix," Palafoutas said. "Part of the problem is there's a lot of recklessness out there."
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Seven months ago, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates vowed to &quot;help users be in control&quot; over the rampant spyware infesting Windows systems.
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Forget Congress' myopic efforts to outlaw spyware. What we really need is better enforcement of existing computer crime laws.
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Raising the fine line US consumer watchdog the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is calling for a bigger stick with which to punish spyware purveyors.â¦
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The computer maker and a nonprofit organization have launched a project to teach people about spyware and how to avoid it. By Thomas Claburn.
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The US government has sued a New Hampshire man in its first attempt to crack down on Internet &quot;spyware&quot; that seizes control of a user&#39;s computer without permission.