Anti-Spyware Coalition Definitions and Supporting Documents

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The Anti-Spyware Coalition was convened to bolster that defense, … A, simple, formal definition of Spyware and Other Potentially Unwanted Technologies a …

Website: www.antispywarecoalition.org | Filesize: 274kb

Content
Working Report October 27, 2005
Anti-Spyware Coalition
Definitions and Supporting Documents
Spyware has quickly evolved from an online nuisance to one of the most dire threats facing
the Internet. As users struggle to maintain control over their computers, many find
themselves trapped in a cyclical battle against programs that install themselves without
warning, open dangerous security holes and reinstall themselves after they’ve been deleted.
The worst of these programs allow online criminals to hijack users’ sensitive personal
information at will. Even the most benign variants can slow computers to a crawl by wasting
their processing power to provide unwanted “services.” Compounding the problem are the
sophisticated ploys spyware developers use to install their programs on unsuspecting users’
computers. Spyware distributors often rely on security holes, clever cons, opaque “bundling”
arrangements and other unsavory practices to spread their unwanted payload. As the threat
has grown, so has the need to mount a coordinated defense against these unwanted
programs and their adverse effects.
The Anti-Spyware Coalition was convened to bolster that defense, by building on the great
strides the technology industry has already made to combat the spyware problem. In recent
years, computer and software makers have taken…