Gawker: valleywag, spyware

Conficker Worm Spams People Too Stupid to Download Antivirus Software

Owen Thomas — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:43:12 EDT

For months, we've wondered what the makers of the Conficker worm, which was set to activate on April 1, were up to. An evil plot to destroy the world? Nah — they just want money.

Conficker has been the object of a lot of speculation since it was first reported in January; it has since spread to between 3 million and 12 million computers running Microsoft Windows. One security expert called the computer virus a "digital Pearl Harbor." The reason why it has been so feared is because no one knew quite what it would do — it's designed to take over a computer and then wait for instructions. The only real sign of infection: Conficker blocks access to the websites of Microsoft and other antivirus software companies, making its removal more difficult. Besides that, Conficker is capable, in theory, of anything. Or nothing. April 1 came and went without the millions of infected machines showing much activity.

Then this morning Conficker started downloading a viral payload. The result? Infected machines started displaying popups offering a supposed antivirus software called "Spyware Protect 2009" for $49.95:

It's the perfect behavioral targeting: Anyone who left their machine unprotected against Conficker has a natural need for spyware blockers. Naturally, Spyware Protect 2009 does nothing of the kind; it's actually another computer infection which lets hackers steal passwords and other data — probably so they can make more money.

Why are today's computer villains so damn boring? Whatever happened to hacking into systems in order to impress girls?

Google ban nukes alleged spyware peddler's stock price

Nicholas Carlson — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:20:38 EST

After IncrediMail announced Friday that Google canceled its AdSense account, investors wiped nearly $20 million off its market cap, a 45 percent stock drop, before the stock recovered. Quite the dropkick. And some are describing the incident as an illustration of Google's hegemony. Which is fine. But resist the temptation to call Google evil on this one.

On its site, IncrediMail quotes from and links to a positive review of its service from CNET. "With its straightforward interface and whimsical attitude, this is the program for the modern and creative pen pal in your house." Follow the link, however, and there's no longer any such review. Instead, there are claims that IncrediMail's software is actually spyware.

Texas man faces prison for snooping on wife's computer

Nicholas Carlson — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:46:05 EST

Just because Facebook can track its members' online behavior doesn't mean you can spy on your wife's. Texan Shawn McLeod learned the hard way after he installed spyware on his wife's computer and she alerted authorities. Now McLeod faces four years in jail, according to reports. That sentence only came down from 20 years after McLeod plead guilty to a crime less severe than the second-degree felony detectives originally nabbed him for.

In Brief

rabruzzo — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:10:35 EDT

Chinese Facebook-ripoff Xiaonei.com was purchased yesterday. The college social networking site clone, which blatantly lifted its look and feel from Facebook, was acquired by Oak Pacific Interactive. We wonder why a company would want to purchase a knock-off of a more reputable brand. We can imagine in the not-to-distant future aging Venture Capitalists busing into Canada to purchase generic social networking sites at a mere fraction of the cost of name-brand US ventures.
Microsoft's Defender is now out of beta, Redmond touts its ability to "protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software." So does it install a copy of MacOS X and Firefox? Sorry that was too easy.

Blatant Facebook Rip-Off Gets Acquired [Mashable]
[Mircrosoft]