Industry, Public Interest Groups Unite to Tackle Spyware; Anti-Spyware Coalition Announces Spyware Definitions Along with Prevention Tips for Consumers; Invites Public Commentary.WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Anti-Spyware Coalition The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC) is a group dedicated to building a consensus about definitions and best practices in the debate surrounding spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies. (ASC ASC Ambulatory surgery center, see there ), an alliance of technology companies and public interest groups, today took a major step toward giving users more power to control the unwanted spyware Software that sends information about your Web surfing habits to its Web site. Often quickly installed in your computer in combination with a free download you selected from the Web, spyware transmits information in the background as you move around the Web. clogging their computers. For the first time, the ASC, which includes some of the largest software developers, technology companies and anti-spyware companies working alongside public interest groups, has drafted a uniform definition of "spyware." The definition will ultimately help all users -- from individuals to large enterprises -- understand why some programs on their computers may be identified as unwanted and help them make educated decisions about removing or blocking those programs. The ASC is now asking the public for help in refining the draft definitions to meet the needs of the entire Internet community. Spyware is a global scourge that's reached epidemic proportions. A May 2005 survey by the Ponemon Institute found that 85% of frequent Internet users Internet user n → internauta m/f Internet user Internet n → internaute m/f believe that they have had spyware on their computer and of those 86% said that the spyware caused a direct monetary or productivity loss. Although companies have individually developed numerous effective tools for combating spyware, the overall effort to address the problem has been hampered by a lack of agreement and clarity over how to distinguish good programs from those that raise concerns. "One of the biggest challenges we've had with spyware has been agreeing on what it is," said Ari Schwartz, Associate Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, which has led the work of the group. "The anti-spyware community needs a way to quickly and decisively categorize cat·e·go·rize tr.v. cat·e·go·rized, cat·e·go·riz·ing, cat·e·go·riz·es To put into a category or categories; classify. cat the new programs spawning at exponential 1. (mathematics) exponential - A function which raises some given constant (the "base") to the power of its argument. I.e. f x = b^x If no base is specified, e, the base of natural logarthims, is assumed. 2. rates across the Internet. The definitions will serve as a foundation for all future efforts to help users make more informed decisions about which programs to keep and which to delete." Since a big part of the goal in defining spyware is to make the practices of anti-spyware companies more transparent, the ASC has also outlined common procedures for dispute resolution for vendors who believe their software has been unfairly flagged by an anti-spyware company. The ASC describes "spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies," as those that "impair im·pair tr.v. im·paired, im·pair·ing, im·pairs To cause to diminish, as in strength, value, or quality: an injury that impaired my hearing; a severe storm impairing communications. users' control over material changes that affect their user experience, privacy, or system security; use of their system resources (1) In a computer system, system resources are the components that provide its inherent capabilities and contribute to its overall performance. System memory, cache memory, hard disk space, IRQs and DMA channels are examples. , including what programs are installed on their computers; or collection, use, and distribution of their personal or otherwise sensitive information." ASC members agree that this accurately characterizes the practices of concern at the core of the spyware debate. To further aid consumers, the coalition has drafted an extensive glossary A term used by Microsoft Word and adopted by other word processors for the list of shorthand, keyboard macros created by a particular user. See glossaries in this publication and The Computer Glossary. of terms like "adware," "port scanner A port scanner is a piece of software designed to search a network host for open ports. This is often used by administrators to check the security of their networks and by hackers to compromise it. ," "screen scraper (1) Also called "frontware," it is software that adds a graphical user interface (GUI) to character-based mainframe and earlier minicomputer applications. The screen scraper runs in the user's computer and connects to the mainframe or mini via the network or terminal emulation. ," and others commonly associated with unwanted programs. That glossary, along with a list of tips intended to help computer users both avoid downloading unwanted programs and defend themselves against malicious spyware already on their computers, is available at the ASC's Web site http://www.antispywarecoalition.org The ASC has will hold a public comment period on the draft definitions through August 12. The forum is open to all. Information on how to post a comment is available on the ASC Web site. Once the comment period ends ASC members will incorporate the best recommendations into the group's final definition. That final document will be the cornerstone of a more sophisticated approach to dealing with an increasingly sophisticated problem. "The definitions alone represent a huge leap in how we communicate with our customers and each other about the spyware problem," Schwartz said. "Even more exciting, is the collaborative effort as we work together, and communicate with a common language. Together we can really begin to tip the balance of this fight in favor of consumers and legitimate businesses." Details about the next steps in the coalition's ongoing effort are available on the ASC site. Current members of the Coalition include: Aluria; AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. ; Computer Associates; EarthLink; HP; Lavasoft; McAfee Inc.; Microsoft; PC Tools; Safer-Networking Ltd.; Symantec; Tenebril; Trend Micro; Webroot Software Webroot Software is a company that creates computer security software. Webroot's corporate headquarters is located in Boulder, Colorado, and the company was founded in 1997. They currently employ about 300 people worldwide. ; Yahoo! Inc.; Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at Boalt Hall School of Law, UC Berkeley; the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic; and the Cyber Security Industry Alliance. The Coalition has also consulted with the National Consumer Law Center and Consumers Union. About the Anti-Spyware Coalition The ASC is a group dedicated to building a consensus about definitions and best practices in the debate surrounding spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies. Composed of anti-spyware software companies, academics, and consumer groups, the ASC seeks to bring together a diverse array of perspective on the problem of controlling spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies. For More Information: David McGuire, CDT Communications Director 202-637-9800 dmcguire@cdt.org Quotes and Contact Information of Anti-Spyware Coalition Members Aluria "Spyware is becoming an ever-growing concern to consumers and enterprise customers every day and we believe the Anti-Spyware industry has to come together if we are to deal with spyware effectively. This is why Aluria is pleased to be a part of an organization that represents this philosophy." Contact: Hiep Dang, Director of Spyware Research & Engineering 407-833-8700 x110 hdang@aluriacorporate.com Tony Carter, Director of Spyware Research & Engineering 407-833-8700 x135 cartert@aluriacorporate.com AOL "By bringing clarity to the debate, the Anti-Spyware Coalition definitions will help AOL and others who are fighting the scourge of spyware better target the practices that consumers find abhorrent ab·hor·rent adj. 1. Disgusting, loathsome, or repellent. 2. Feeling repugnance or loathing. 3. Archaic Being strongly opposed. ," said Jules Polonetsky, Vice President, Integrity Assurance, America Online See AOL. Inc. Contact: Andrew Weinstein 703-265-0185 Andrewwstn@aol.com Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC CIPPIC Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic ) "CIPPIC advocates on behalf of Canada's public interest on matters at the intersection of law and policy. Canada has long been a global leader in deploying broadband technology broadband technology Telecommunications devices, lines, or technologies that allow communication over a wide band of frequencies, and especially over a range of frequencies divided into multiple independent channels for the simultaneous transmission of different signals. , and has implemented a national innovation strategy to capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. the promise of those technologies. No issue currently presents a greater challenge to that strategy than spyware. CIPPIC is delighted to be a part of the ASC, and to contribute its uniquely Canadian perspective to this effort to address the problem of spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies." Contact: David Fewer, Staff Counsel 613-562-5800 x2558 dfewer@uottawa.ca Computer Associates "CA is committed to helping develop the standards, best practices and common definitions essential for strengthening the user community's overall defense against spyware and other intrusive in·tru·sive adj. 1. Intruding or tending to intrude. 2. Geology Of or relating to igneous rock that is forced while molten into cracks or between other layers of rock. 3. Linguistics Epenthetic. cyber-phenomena. Clear definitions of spyware will level the playing field and provide end-users, publishers, anti-spyware vendors and legislators with the ability to clearly determine what is bad and why -- freeing the industry to aggressively develop technologies that ensure the safety and privacy of the desktop." -- Tori Case, CA Director, eTrust Security Management Contact: Ilona Andrea Mohacsi, Public Relations Manager 631-342-2542 ilona.mohacsi@ca.com Cyber Security Industry Alliance "Spyware is a serious and complex problem. Consumers and enterprises are losing control of their computers from spyware masquerading 1. (networking) masquerading - "NAT" (Linux kernel name). 2. (messaging) masquerading - Hiding the names of internal e-mail client and gateway machines from the outside world by rewriting the "From" address and other headers as the message leaves the as adware. Spyware is leading to ID theft, lost productivity and a loss in confidence in our information systems. The ASC is critical to addressing the scourge of spyware as it brings together the stakeholders Stakeholders All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. dealing with this problem on a daily basis," said Paul Kurtz, executive director of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance. "The ASC has defined a lexicon for potentially unwanted software and proposed a transparent dispute resolution process, which are critical to ensuring we have a common foundation for moving ahead. The Center for Democracy and Technology should be commended for leading the Coalition, which demonstrates to the Congress that the private sector is capable of coming together to address a common problem." Contact: Stacy Simpson, Merritt Group for CSIA 703-390-1528 simpson@merrittgrp.com EarthLink "Working together as an industry to refine our definitions for spyware will help protect all consumers from unwanted software," said Liza Barry-Kessler, EarthLink senior product manager. "Participating in industry coalitions supports consumer protection and enhances the value that EarthLink provides to our security technology, including Spyware Blocker Software that detects and removes spyware and adware from the computer. It also prevents such software from being installed. Stateful inspection firewalls alert users when any software makes an outbound request for the first time, which could be spyware contacting a Web site. , ScamBlocker(TM), spamBlocker and related products. Working with groups like the Anti-Spyware Coalition will continue to play a key role in our efforts to provide the best possible Internet experience." Contact: Carla Shaw 404-748-7436 shawcm@corp.earthlink.net HP "To be given notice and choice is a consumer privacy right. Spyware violates this basic right. It's not technology itself that's the problem with spyware, it's the misuse of technology. Policymakers need to target intentionally in·ten·tion·al adj. 1. Done deliberately; intended: an intentional slight. See Synonyms at voluntary. 2. Having to do with intention. fraudulent and deceptive de·cep·tive adj. Deceptive or tending to deceive. de·cep  tive·ness n. behavior like spyware, not the technologies themselves. There
are many legitimate uses for software that collects and uses data, such
as remote diagnostics Vehicle DiagnosticsVehicle diagnostics enables a mechanic to diagnose the exact mechanical condition of the vehicle and its systems and components. Remote Diagnostics enables to perform such diagnosis without requiring the vehicle to physically be present for checkup. and automatic updates that benefit consumers." Contact: Alexa Hanes 650-857-5316 Lavasoft "Lavasoft believes that ACS (Asynchronous Communications Server) See network access server. will finally bring the antispyware industry, the public, and consumer groups together to create standards that will bring clarity to the spyware debate. We are confident that the right mix of industry providers and consumer groups have been assembled and that together we will be able to provide a strong and cohesive cohesive, n the capability to cohere or stick together to form a mass. force for positive change." Contact: Merja Turpeinen, Public Relations Manager (011) 358 9 6932220 Finland Fax: (011) 358 9 6932227 Finland merja@lavasoft.de McAfee, Inc. "McAfee is pleased that the anti-spyware industry is beginning to develop the cooperation and maturity that customers have come to expect in the anti-virus industry. As a member of the ASC, we look forward to playing an instrumental role in the development of consistent and defensible de·fen·si·ble adj. Capable of being defended, protected, or justified: defensible arguments. de·fen detection, naming, reporting and testing criteria for this relatively new industry. We believe this effort will benefit consumers, enterprises and software publishers." -- Joe Telafici, Director of Operations, McAfee(R)AVERT AVERT Cardiology 1. A clinical trial—Atorvastatin Versus Revascularization Treatments–which evaluated the efficacy of aggressive lowering of cholesterol in Pts at risk of future cardiovascular events 2. (TM) Contact: Tracy Ross 408-346-5965 Tracy_Ross@mcafee.com Ally Zwahlen, Porter Novelli for McAfee, Inc. 408-369-4665 Ally.zwahlen@porternovelli.com Microsoft "Our customers and partners have made it clear that spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies have a negative impact on the security and safety of their PCs, as well as the stability and performance of their computing computing - computer experience," said Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President of the Security Business & Technology Unit at Microsoft Corporation (company) Microsoft Corporation - The biggest supplier of operating systems and other software for IBM PC compatibles. Software products include MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Microsoft Access, LAN Manager, MS Client, SQL Server, Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC), MS Mail, . "The establishment of the Anti-Spyware Coalition is an important step in deterring malicious software. As a founding member, we are excited to be part of the coalition because clarifying definitions and setting best practices in this space will help software developers avoid the risk of writing deceptive software, and will help Microsoft and our partners enable customers to identify and stop spyware and other unwanted technologies." Contact: Nicole Miller, PR 425-638-7188 PC Tools "PC Tools has a longstanding commitment to protecting the privacy and security of computer users worldwide through our spyware removal and real-time protection Real-time protection, on-access scanning, background guard, resident shield, autoprotect, and other synonyms refer to the automatic protection provided by most antivirus, antispyware, and other antimalware programs, which is arguably their most important software and we commend com·mend tr.v. com·mend·ed, com·mend·ing, com·mends 1. To represent as worthy, qualified, or desirable; recommend. 2. To express approval of; praise. See Synonyms at praise. 3. the Anti-Spyware Coalition for fostering an environment of collaboration in fighting this malicious threat," said Simon Clausen, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of PC Tools. "We are looking forward to working with the Coalition in its efforts to create a common definition of spyware." Contact: Beth Mayer, Text 100 Public Relations for PC Tools 206-267-2023 bethm@text100.com Symantec "Our mission in joining the Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC) was to help shape the industry's consensus on what constitutes spyware and other security risks," said Vincent Weafer, senior director of development, Symantec. "The necessary clarity these standard definitions provide along with the establishment of industry-wide best practices will give people improved protection and control of their computers and networks." Contact: Pamela S. Reese, Public Relations Manager 310-449-8557 pamela_reese@symantec.com Mike Bradshaw, Connect Public Relations 801-373-7888 mikeb@connectpr.com Tenebril "While spyware distributors accelerate their rate of technological innovation, their business practices remain constant; compromised privacy and security is the result," said Frederick Felman, senior vice president of marketing and products at Tenebril, Inc. "As a technology community, we have the opportunity to forge a common understanding of this threat, freeing anti-spyware vendors to compete and innovate in·no·vate v. in·no·vat·ed, in·no·vat·ing, in·no·vates v.tr. To begin or introduce (something new) for or as if for the first time. v.intr. To begin or introduce something new. in protecting both enterprises and consumers from the most pernicious pernicious /per·ni·cious/ (per-nish´us) tending toward a fatal issue. per·ni·cious adj. Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly. forms of spyware such as hyper-mutating spyware strains." Contact: Te Smith, Vice President, Communications 650-627-1820 tsmith@tenebril.com Trend Micro "Public awareness is paramount in combating Internet-borne threats like spyware. Trend Micro has always embraced its social responsibility to educate and protect the public against spyware and other security threats, and we are proud that we can participate in this collaborative effort. Like the Anti-Spyware Coalition as a whole, we take this responsibility seriously. We look forward to furthering the understanding -- and solutions -- for protecting users against unwanted spyware and the disruptions they cause." Contact: Michael Sweeny, North American PR Manager 408-863-6384 UC Berkeley - Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic "Spyware, in its broad sense, is a complicated problem for consumers and industry because it includes a range of activities from the clearly malicious to the potentially legitimate. While regulation can help in weeding out the obviously bad actors, there remains a substantial `gray area' that requires the development of best practices, educating consumers, and developing good user interfaces for these tasks. The collaborative efforts of the Anti-Spyware coalition are an important step in accomplishing these goals. The common language and definitions the ASC is developing will serve as a foundation for consumers and companies to communicate effectively with one another and for the development of good law and policy." Contact: Deirdre K. Mulligan, Director Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic 510-642-0499 dmulligan@law.berkeley.edu Webroot Software "There is great value in the anti-spyware industry and consumer groups working together to fight the serious threats consumers and businesses face from spyware. We are very supportive of these efforts, and look forward to continuing our work with the Coalition over the months ahead." -- Richard Steinnon, Vice President of Threat Research, Webroot Software. Contact: Ashley Cox, PR Account Manager 303-522-0783 acox@webroot.com Yahoo! "Yahoo! is committed to creating the best Internet experience possible for users, and a large part of that means helping users make informed decisions about what they download to their computers," said Doug Leeds, Chief of Product Justice, Yahoo!, Inc. "We strongly believe that to enable users to effectively combat malicious programs and manage the programs they find useful, the industry must provide them with standard definitions of these applications. We look forward to working with our fellow ASC members to develop these standards and foster additional consumer dialogue about the complex issue of spyware." Contact: Gaude Lydia Paez, Sr. Manager, Communications 626-685-5608 fax 626-685-5601 |
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