Spyware firms charged $2 million

FTC takes cash, bans from future naughtiness.

Enternet Media

and

ConSpy & Co.

, the companies behind products including

Miracle Search

and

EliteBar

, have been forced to pay out over $2 million to settle a case brought by the US Federal Trade Commission.

The companies, and some other named defendants, were ordered to desist from distributing software using fraudulent techniques, and from using software to alter people’s computer setups or gather personal data. Methods used to get users to install the software include masquerading as music, ring tones, or pictures, and offering solutions to non-existent security problems. Once installed, the tools tracked web browsing, doctored browsers and popped up ads.

‘It seems odd that these people have had to be officially told not to do it again,’ said John Hawes, Technical Consultant at Virus Bulletin. ‘You don’t often hear of burglars being prohibited from future breaking and entering. Nevertheless, it’s good they have been stopped.’

On top of the $2 million was a suspended charge of a further $8.5 million.

Google

,

Microsoft

and security firm

Webroot

were all supporting the case.

Find out more about the spyware problem at the

Virus Bulletin conference

(11-13 October, Montréal), where Jeff Williams (

Microsoft

) will present

his paper

‘I know what you did last logon: keystroke logging, spyware and privacy’.

See the full programme

here

or click

here to register now

.

Posted on 7 September 2006 by

Virus Bulletin