180search

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Rogues are easy to spot

I was sent some interesting screenshots of pop-up advertisements for antispyware apps delivered via 180Search. The pop-ups were triggered at various Web sites, including PC-Tools, maker of Spyware Doctor, Google, and even Download.com. I detect various conflicts of interest. First, what legitimate antispyware app would use spyware to advertise itself?...

Tags: anti-spyware, advertisement, 180Search

Blog posts 2005-04-27

180Search speaks

After my post about advertising on 180Search, a PR person for 180Search contacted me, wanting to set up a call between me and various personnel at the company. They wanted to explain why 180Search would deliver an ad that seemed to do no service to either me or the advertiser....

Tags: 180Search

Blog posts 2005-03-14

Weird advertising on 180Search

While researching the pop-up behavior of 180Search, I found that the advertisers paying for exposure are being taken for a ride. 180Search claims to have cleaned up their act, only delivering two or three ads a day (still too many, in my opinion) and performing a clean uninstall. To verify,...

Tags: advertisement

Blog posts 2005-03-02

Additional Resources

180solutions responds - questions need answers

Yesterday I reported on another nonconsensual install of 180solutions that was discovered and blogged by spyware expert Ben Edelman. Some might wonder why the big deal - after all, 180solutions has a long history of illegal forced installations and problematic business practices as documented in the CDT's 91 page complaint...

Tags: 180Solutions

Blog posts 2006-02-21

180solutions turns the tables

180solutions turns the tablesZone Labs is guiltyAs much as I hate to side with 180 Solutions they have a good case. Zone Alarm is guilty of falsely scaring consumers by flagging any application which uses the Windows "SetWindowsHook" API as a key logger. Logging key strokes is only...

Tags: Spyware, adware & malware, Cyberthreats, Viruses and worms, SECURITY, spyware, Zone Labs Inc., 180Solutions, SetWindowsHook, WinPatrol, good case, ZoneAlarm

Discussion threads 2005-11-30

180solutions turns the tables

Well, well. 180solutions has filed a lawsuit against Zone Labs, maker of popular Zone Alarm firewall and anti-spyware. 180solutions' complaint states that Zone Labs "creates the misimpression that 180's products are spyware", Zone Labs identifies both Zango and 180Search assistant as potential threats to privacy and security, classifies both as...

Tags: Zone Labs Inc., 180Solutions

Blog posts 2005-11-30

Adware distraction

I had all intentions of finishing the "spyware tricks' series but I got distracted this evening by adware. After reading Sunbeltblog's description of the Zango Search Assistant installation, I had to try it myself. Zango Search Assistant is 180solutions new version of the 180search Assistant. My...

Tags: SunbeltBLOG, Zango Search Assistant, 180Solutions, active-X

Blog posts 2005-09-21

Spyware Tricks

Spyware TricksDavid Fish is my new herohttp://www.livejournal.com/users/valiskeogh/882720.htmli love him. and i've emailed him about information on how to join the class action suits against direct revenue and 1800solutions.EVERYONE needs to joinValisCEOValis EnterprisesAN operating systemthat is developed to be easy to use and easy to program allows this "perfect storm"...

Tags: Spyware, adware & malware, Cyberthreats, Viruses and worms, spyware, operating system, security, security hole, SpySheriff

Discussion threads 2005-09-20

180solutions explains new technology

180solutions explains new technologyAd/spyware is Ad/Spyware. No matter how you sugarcoat it...It should all be outlawed, and the pushers thrown under the jail.Interesting read...The first reaction I have to this, is a bit of anger at 180Solutions. You don't get to play the part of indignant victum when...

Tags: Spyware, adware & malware, Cyberthreats, 180Solutions, spyware, installer, advertisement

Discussion threads 2005-09-09

180solutions explains new technology

Yesterday 180solutions announced "Safe and Secure Search", their new technology to help stop non-consensual installations, without giving any details about how it would work. I received permission from Sean Sundwall of 180solutions to post his email to me explaining how the new technology works. Hi Suzi,Although I was disappointed...

Tags: consent box, 180Solutions

Blog posts 2005-09-08

180solutions has new plan to curb rogue installations

When I read the headline at seattlepi.com, I had an immediate deja vu. The company announced today plans for new technology to make it more difficult for distributors to install 180's software on users' computers without their knowledge. They are releasing "Safe and Secure Search" which will be embedded...

Tags: 180Solutions

Blog posts 2005-09-07

Spam bots, keyloggers, porn, adware, Direct Revenue, 180solutions

What do they have in common? While doing spyware research yesterday, I was hit with a massive download of malware through an exploit and the payload included all of the above. I blogged in detail at Spyware Warrior about the experience, including a video and logs to document...

Tags: adware, Direct-Revenue, spyware, Direct, Direct Revenue

Blog posts 2005-08-29

Spyware at epidemic proportions

Got spyware? Join the crowd. Webroot released their State of Spyware Report today and the statistics are more than discouraging. Spyware in the enterprise setting topped 80% and increased 19% in the second quarter. Sites spreading spyware increased 400% and the spyware is more tenacious and malicious than...

Tags: spyware, Webroot Software Inc.

Blog posts 2005-08-23

Notes from the workshop

Yesterday's Antispyware Workshop was incredibly successful because of all the amazing people that showed up. I would really like to talk about everything that happened, but there was so much I can only offer some of what I feel are the most important nuggets to come out of it. Strangely,...

Tags: adware, WhenU

Blog posts 2005-05-04

88% of PCs have spyware, CoolWebSearch most prevalent

According to Webroot, 88% of PCs were infected with spyware in Q1 2005, down slightly from 92% in Q4 2004. The average PC revealed 25 infections, about 18 cookies and seven applications such as adware, system monitors, keyloggers or trojan horses. Webroot found that 4294 websites and 89806 web pages...

Tags: PC, spyware

Blog posts 2005-05-03

88% of PCs have spyware, CoolWebSearch most prevalent

According to Webroot, 88% of PCs were infected with spyware in Q1 2005, down slightly from 92% in Q4 2004. The average PC revealed 25 infections, about 18 cookies and seven applications such as adware, system monitors, keyloggers or trojan horses. Webroot found that 4294 websites and 89806 web pages...

Tags: spyware, PC

Blog posts 2005-05-03

Symantec test results

As promised yesterday, I have results for the test I put Symantec’s new antispyware product through. I used the same test file that we used in our second Spyware Obstacle Course, which contained the following eight nasties: 180Search Assistant, BargainBuddy, BookedSpace, DownloadWare, eXact Search Bar, PerfectNav, Lycos Sidesearch, and Zserv....

Tags: BookedSpace, spyware, Exact, 180Search Assistant, BargainBuddy

Blog posts 2005-04-20

Symantec takes on spyware

Symantec finally jumped into the antispyware fray, releasing a beta of Norton Internet Security with spyware removal, and I’ve got a preview of it. The public beta is available from Symantec’s Web site as a hefty 33MB download. The trial will run until June 1, and includes an entire suite...

Tags: Spyware, adware & malware, Cyberthreats, Viruses and worms, SECURITY, Symantec Corp., spyware, Norton Co.

Blog posts 2005-04-19

The Adware Market Report

Webroots' advanced research lab has access to huge volumes of data on adware, system monitors, Trojans and cookies. The data is used to come up with the Top Ten Threats list. I took some time this past week to dig into the numbers a little more deeply....

Tags: Internet, adware, Gain, 180Search Assistant

Blog posts 2005-03-28

180Search speaks

180Search speaksTripwire doesn't lientIf it works well at searching, I still dont want itSo they make money in MY computer and I get spied on in return. Sounds great. I administer a couple hundred computers and when they get spyware, the installer is always left sitting in a...

Tags: PRODUCTIVITY, computer

Discussion threads 2005-03-14