OT: Microsoft Anti Spyware Program

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 1:05 pm

Microsoft has just released a beta of their new anti-spyware program. I've installed it on a few machines at work and it's found a few things that Adaware, SpyBot and HijackThis have missed.

It's worth a look - here's the link:

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/securit ... fault.mspx

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 2:06 pm

Actually, I heard that Microsoft was going to enter the security software business so it's affecting the stock of companies like Symantec.

So Microsoft may have a financial incentive to keep its OS insecure.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 2:06 pm

Thanks for the link Jason. I downloaded and I'm trying it out now.

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 3:05 pm

wco81 wrote: So Microsoft may have a financial incentive to keep its OS insecure.

Not really...

skinsfan · Post by **skinsfan** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 3:07 pm

Yes,thanks.This found a few items adaware and spybot didn't.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 3:17 pm

If they integrated the security tools to future SP releases or versions of Windows (may be a good carrot to get people to upgrade to future versions), then yeah, it costs the consumers nothing.

The way they talked about it on CNBC, it made it sound like they would enter the business and actually put out something you'd have to buy like you do the Symantec products.

That would put some people off if they charged you extra to fix security problems in their OS.

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 3:18 pm

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. While Microsoft has made the beta available for free, they make no mention of offering the final version for free too.

I wouldn't worry about the 3rd party companies just yet - Microsoft added an anti-virus program to DOS 6.x (I think it was based off of Central Point's AV) that didn't hurt the AV companies at all. They are considering adding built-in AV to Windows XP now. Their built-in firewall doesn't have any of the major firewall companies, like Zonelabs, too worried either.

On the othe hand, Microsoft did purchase an anti-spyware company that allowed them to produce this new product and they have been working hard on making Windows XP secure, so maybe these 3rd party companies should be concerned. I'm sure some will complain about these products if they come bundled with Windows (as I think they will), but if you deal with as much spyware as I do at work and with relatives, this would be good news.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 1:53 am

I'm no expert but it seems like a pretty solid anti spyware program. Are any of you guys using the auto update and security agents? Just wondering.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 10:31 am

Here's an article on Microsoft's plans for this software:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/01/06/micr ... index.html

They plan to sell it as a separate product because if they give it away as part of Windows, they might hurt the security software companies. Also, they recently lost a judgement in Europe for giving away Windows Media Player in the OS.

Either way, they're going to be criticized. If they give it away, they're hurting these companies. If they charge, people would demand to know why since they had spent hundreds of millions on things like IE and WMP which they integrated into Windows. Plus as the article suggests, maybe they don't give free Windows updates to fix security problems and instead, make you buy their security software. So they're kind of in a difficult spot.

Then there's speculation that Longhorn would be marketed as a more secure OS, which would be the incentive for people to upgrade. But then you have the RIAA saying they want Longhorn to not play back any unprotected media like MP3s, even if you ripped them from CDs you bought.

Bill Gates gave an interview at CES on CNet where he said people who oppose DRM are communists.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 10:35 am

The irony of this new ballyhooed MS anti-spyware software is that it should be totally unnecessary. If IE was more secure, there wouldn't be nearly the need for anti-spyware software.

MS is trying to fix a problem it created. Cover your ass, at its finest.

I do regular, weekly cleans of my systems with Ad-Aware. When using IE, I would have anywhere between 40 and 60 pieces of spyware on my system every week. Since I've switched to Mozilla Firefox about six weeks ago, I average around five to 10 pieces of spyware on my machine every week.

Take care,
PK

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:28 pm

pk500 wrote:The irony of this new ballyhooed MS anti-spyware software is that it should be totally unnecessary. If IE was more secure, there wouldn't be nearly the need for anti-spyware software.

MS is trying to fix a problem it created. Cover your ass, at its finest.

I do regular, weekly cleans of my systems with Ad-Aware. When using IE, I would have anywhere between 40 and 60 pieces of spyware on my system every week. Since I've switched to Mozilla Firefox about six weeks ago, I average around five to 10 pieces of spyware on my machine every week.

Take care,
PK

While IE is more susceptible to spyware than Firefox (due to ActiveX), a majority of spyware was distributed through the installation of Kazaa and other free programs on the Internet.

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 1:52 pm

Diablo25 wrote:I'm no expert but it seems like a pretty solid anti spyware program. Are any of you guys using the auto update and security agents? Just wondering.

I am.

I'm sure I'll have a few spyware-infested machines comes my way in the next few days and really be able to give this program a workout. I'll be sure to post my results.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 4:32 pm

Jason wrote:
pk500 wrote:The irony of this new ballyhooed MS anti-spyware software is that it should be totally unnecessary. If IE was more secure, there wouldn't be nearly the need for anti-spyware software.

MS is trying to fix a problem it created. Cover your ass, at its finest.

I do regular, weekly cleans of my systems with Ad-Aware. When using IE, I would have anywhere between 40 and 60 pieces of spyware on my system every week. Since I've switched to Mozilla Firefox about six weeks ago, I average around five to 10 pieces of spyware on my machine every week.

Take care,
PK
While IE is more susceptible to spyware than Firefox (due to ActiveX), a majority of spyware was distributed through the installation of Kazaa and other free programs on the Internet.

That doesn't necessarily mean anything though. IE is by far the most used browser on the web so naturally most spyware will target it since the whole idea of it is to get advertising out there. If you were going to advertise would you want to do it in the New York Times or the Podunk Press?

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 4:42 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:
Jason wrote:
pk500 wrote:The irony of this new ballyhooed MS anti-spyware software is that it should be totally unnecessary. If IE was more secure, there wouldn't be nearly the need for anti-spyware software.

MS is trying to fix a problem it created. Cover your ass, at its finest.

I do regular, weekly cleans of my systems with Ad-Aware. When using IE, I would have anywhere between 40 and 60 pieces of spyware on my system every week. Since I've switched to Mozilla Firefox about six weeks ago, I average around five to 10 pieces of spyware on my machine every week.

Take care,
PK
While IE is more susceptible to spyware than Firefox (due to ActiveX), a majority of spyware was distributed through the installation of Kazaa and other free programs on the Internet.
That doesn't necessarily mean anything though. IE is by far the most used browser on the web so naturally most spyware will target it since the whole idea of it is to get advertising out there. If you were going to advertise would you want to do it in the New York Times or the Podunk Press?

I don't disagree with you or PK, I know that most (almost all) spyware was written for IE. I was just pointing out that alot of spyware is installed by people installing free/ad-driven programs on their computers. It doesn't matter what browser you use if you download and install Kazaa or any other spyware-loaded program.

I'm also a very big fan of FireFox & Thunderbird. I'll never visit OS with anything but Firefox and I have been using it since its first beta release when it was still called Phoenix.

fatheadX · Post by **fatheadX** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 4:43 pm

It's a pretty slick program, thanks for the link. I went ahead and let it do what it wanted to do (auto-updater, etc.), but I can't tell that anything is happening so far, except it's in the taskbar. I haven't any warnings or pop-ups yet.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 2:02 am

I has removed programs that Spybot and Adaware couldn't. Not only that but it found a whole hell of a lot more junk in there.

And you guys are right about OS. Don't go over their with Iexpoler or you can come away with about 2-3 new spyware problems.