Computer Associates Rates Kazaa As Worst Spyware Threat

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1732605,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1732605,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Computer Associates International Inc. has launched a list of the worst spyware threats as part of a new program to combat unwanted software "pests." At the top of that list: the peer-to-peer application Kazaa. The company initiated its Spyware Information Center earlier this month with the launch of eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware r5, enterprise-oriented software designed to tackle unwanted spyware, adware and trojans, a category of threats it calls "pests" to distinguish them from viruses and security vulnerabilities. But out of the entire category, the top threat is the Kazaa peer-to-peer application, which CA characterized as prone to degrading network performance, consuming vast amounts of storage and creating security issues." </i><br /><br />Yet another reason NOT to use peer to peer software. A quick look through C|NET's Downloads.com shows that nearly every popular peer to peer client for Windows comes with Spyware embedded into the software. LimeWire, Bearshare, Morpheus, Grokster, eDonkey, Kazaa...all of them are Spyware magnets. If you plan on downloading any of these p2p clients, think again. And if you already do happen to use them, do yourself, and your PC, a favor by uninstalling. Download a good Anti-Spyware client like LavaSoft's Ad-Aware and cleanse your PC of all impurities. <br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/k_logo.jpg" />

[Fitch]

A quick look through C|NET's Downloads.com shows that nearly every popular peer to peer client for Windows comes with Spyware embedded into the software. LimeWire, Bearshare, Morpheus, Grokster, eDonkey, Kazaa...all of them are Spyware magnets.

Now that's not true.
How do you know they have spyware? Those reviews might say so, but that's not C|Net, it's unconfirmed heresay from unknown internet users.

For example, Morpheus has ads, but not spyware. Ad-aware may 'flag' it as serving ads, but really, is that privacy-invading spyware? Nope. And they have a pay version that doesn't even have ads.

Kazaa is bad, yes, but on another note, there is also kazaa-lite. It's a third-party hacked version of an old version of Kazaa (1.73) and it's completely ad and spyware-free.

Maybe the 'purpose' most people use p2p software for is wrong, but that doesn't make the programs wrong. They can be used for very legitimate reasons and make much more sense for serving files on the internet-- much like how bittorrent is being used today.

[James Fee]

Now that's not true.
How do you know they have spyware? Those reviews might say so, but that's not C|Net, it's unconfirmed heresay from unknown internet users.CNET has the following warning on most of the P2P software downloads...
Editor's note: This download includes adware. Adware may record your surfing habits, deliver advertising, collect private information, or modify your system settings. Pay close attention to the end user license agreement and installation options. For more information on adware and spyware, please visit our Spyware Center.Most Adware is a form of SpyWare. Anything that tracks what you do is is spying on you. Some Adware does not do this (Opera and Eudora are two good examples), but in this case most of the Adware installed with the large clients (Limeshare and Bearshare excluded) is Spyware. Sure there is the disclaimer on most of these P2P programs, but it doesn't spell out how bad they can be.

They can be used for very legitimate reasons and make much more sense for serving files on the internet-- much like how bittorrent is being used today.Sure, but you can't compare BitTorrent to Kazaa or Bearshare.