Re: Is Norton/Liveupdate spyware?
From: BrownPuppy (BrownPuppy@juno.com)Date: 01/19/02
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From: BrownPuppy@juno.com (BrownPuppy) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 16:35:51 GMT
I tried a little experiment. Instead of using Live Update, I went
directly to the Symantic d/l page for virus updates. I kept clearing
my cache until I got there. On the first page they tried to put a
cookie on my page. Only till I got to the actual d/l page did any
reference to Akamai appear. Then tons of it. I cleared my cache
again and downloaded the update without a hitch. I went offline,
installed the d/l, and it works perfectly. I wonder what info I
passed on to them during this process? Any ideas?
On Fri, 18 Jan 2002 23:08:58 GMT, mtubi@python.net (sponge) wrote:
> I assume you mean privacy.net. If you passed the cookie test you're
>very well protected against browser data leakage. That's all
>privacy.net or any of the zillions of proxy testers test. But, it's
>very important. As long as you have ActiveX and Java disabled in your
>browser (and Javascript as well in your email program) you're pretty
>safe against most browser nasties. As long as you run Ad-Aware on a
>regular basis, you should be fine.
> As always, I recommend using DNSKong (or at least HOSTS) as a hedge
>against defeating any spyware already on your system or against new
>kinds of malware before they get the chance to leak anything. But,
>you've got a pretty good, safe setup.
>
>On Thu, 17 Jan 2002 12:19:30 GMT, BrownPuppy@juno.com (BrownPuppy)
>wrote:
>
>>Thanks for the info. I went to privacy.com and their analysis of my
>>computer was that very little info gets out, except my IP address,
>>which is not static. I never accept any cookies. How vulnerable am
>>I?
>>On Thu, 17 Jan 2002 04:27:03 GMT, mtubi@python.net (sponge) wrote:
>>
>>> Plenty. Your cache only holds a tiny bit of what information there is
>>>about you. Most true spyware logs where you go online, how long you
>>>spend, and what information you input. I often has a unqiue number,
>>>called a GUID, assigned to your particular installation, than can be
>>>backtraced with any registration information or anything else the
>>>spyware passes along.
>>> With that said, I don't think Norton's is spyware in the traditional
>>>sense: Norton's is a respectable company with too much to lose if they
>>>got involved directly in spyware. If they did -- once it was
>>>discovered -- it would almost certainly make mainstream media news.
>>>And probably would make the national section of the newspaper, not
>>>just be buried in the technology section.
>>> As far as who Norton's contacts, it may contact Symantec for
>>>authentication and Akamai for the actual downloads. However, given
>>>Akamai's position in the data-collection/mining/warehousing market,
>>>Norton's may unwittingly have allowed Akamai to profile it's
>>>customers, at least to some degree. It would be smarter for
>>>Norton/Symantec to handle updates directly rather than farm it out to
>>>a company with ties to spyware and the destruction of privacy and
>>>security.
>>>
>>>On Wed, 16 Jan 2002 14:20:01 GMT, BrownPuppy@juno.com (BrownPuppy)
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>>http://www.webhancer.com/documents/wH_customer.pdf
>>>>What if you cleared your cache before using Live Update? What
>>>>information could they possibly get? Other than your IP address and a
>>>>few other pieces of useless information?
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
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