Can StopBadware Save The Universe From ... 'Badware'?
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It's debatable whether StopBadware.org's education campaign against deceptive adware, spyware, and other malware will provide much of a counterweight against the growth of the lucrative adware/spyware industry, given that this software is often installed without the user's knowledge and is difficult to remove. Launched this week, this group of tech industry leaders, academics, and consumer advocates certainly addresses a weak spot in security, that is, the user's tendency to open e-mails and visit Web sites where they can become infected with programs that slow computing resources and steal information. But, if you play the numbers game, it's doubtful that simply alerting users and security pros to specific dangers will reseal Pandora's Box for a meaningful number of companies. Human nature, and its susceptibility to socially engineered fraud schemes such as phishing and e-mailed worms, is often more powerful than any preventative technology yet conjured.
It's debatable whether StopBadware.org's education campaign against deceptive adware, spyware, and other malware will provide much of a counterweight against the growth of the lucrative adware/spyware industry, given that this software is often installed without the user's knowledge and is difficult to remove. Launched this week, this group of tech industry leaders, academics, and consumer advocates certainly addresses a weak spot in security, that is, the user's tendency to open e-mails and visit Web sites where they can become infected with programs that slow computing resources and steal information. But, if you play the numbers game, it's doubtful that simply alerting users and security pros to specific dangers will reseal Pandora's Box for a meaningful number of companies. Human nature, and its susceptibility to socially engineered fraud schemes such as phishing and e-mailed worms, is often more powerful than any preventative technology yet conjured.
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