Informal Adware Risk Survey

[eburger68]

Hi All:

I've started an informal survey to see how users perceive the privacy & security risks inherent in items that are typically detected by anti-spyware programs. You can see the survey and respond yourself (if you so choose) here:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13912417

What I've done is presented a list of 12 detections in no particular order and asked readers to rank the detections in terms of the severity of risk, with 1 being the most severe risk and 12 being the least severe risk. The 12 detections I selected are:

WhenU Save!
Download Accelerator Plus
ABetterInternet (Aurora)
Weatherbug
180search Assistant
SearchMiracle/Elitebar
Tracking cookie (Doubleclick)
New.net
CoolWebSearch (HomeSearchAssistant)
IBIS Websearch/Wintools
GAIN OfferCompanion
Hotbar

If you've got a minute or so to spare, I would encourage you to drop by, take the "survey," and see what other users are saying.

Best,

Eric L. Howes

[JRCATES]

Hi Eric,

Sorry, I am not advanced enough to rank these particular nasties....but I did come across something that looks downright ugly and that may interest you (if you are not currently aware of it). The link below is to an article via the Tech Web News web-site. If refers to a new brand of cookie called a PIE. This looks rather uninviting, and like something that I wish to avoid:

Tech Web News - PIE tracking cookie (http://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/160400719)

[Rmus]

-{ Quote: "The link below is to an article via the Tech Web News web-site. If refers to a new brand of cookie called a PIE. This looks rather uninviting, and like something that I wish to avoid:

Tech Web News - PIE tracking cookie (http://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/160400719)" }-This came out in March... the fix is to uncheck the storing of objects in local shared objects in Flash Options. I thought I had a link to an article showing how, but can't find it at the moment... someone else might have it...


EDIT: here is the article:

http://www.manageyourpc.com/content/view/26/2


-rich
________________
~~Be ALERT!!! ~~

[iceni60]

thanks Eric, i'll check out your link :)

here's something more on Local Shared Objects
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=76839