Forwarded from: Paul Laudanski <zx@private> Original: http://castlecops.com/article-5721-nested-0-0.html In a very interesting turn around for COAST's credibility (and that of the folks who continue to remain as members), Webroot Software issued a press release: http://castlecops.com/article-5719-nested-0-0.html "Webroot Software announced today that after careful consideration, the company has decided to withdraw its membership from the Consortium of Anti-Spyware Technology Vendors (COAST). The company issued the following statement: Webroot has always considered our obligations to our customers as our most important mission as a company. We believe their protection, privacy and peace of mind are paramount and have developed products and supported public policies that reflect that view. Our founding of the Consortium of Anti-Spyware Technology Vendors, or COAST, also reflected that position." There is a very odd and long history about COAST. COAST was founded by other companies including Aluria Software. Aluria Software last year gave "Spyware Safe" status to WhenU. COAST recently added 180solutions to its membership. And now Webroot has left this organization. http://castlecops.com/article5669.html Some interesting information about Aluria Software their delisting of WhenU for their antispyware product, including how America Online insisted WhenU stay listed for their AOL members: http://castlecops.com/article-5524-nested-0-0.html 20 questions were sent to Aluria and they answered, electing not to answer one critical question about why two dictionaries exist: http://castlecops.com/article5618.html 1) AOL insists on WhenU being listed in Aluria's Spyware Eliminator 2) Outside of AOL, WhenU was listed as "Spyware Safe" and delisted in Aluria's Spyware Eliminator Out of roughly 1500 respondants, 85% no longer trust Aluria: http://castlecops.com/modules.php?name=Surveys&op=results&pollID=28&mode=nested&order=0&thold=0 Could COAST be Toast? Wayne Porter from Revenews decidedly thinks so: http://www.revenews.com/wayneporter/archives/000389.html#more Lavasoft was another defector from the COAST organization much earlier. It appears that with all the anti-spyware folks leaving COAST, the companies who remain are called into question on their motives. John Dvorak in his CBS Marketwatch weekley column stated: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/yhoo/story.asp?guid={65E7967A-DA81-451C-BE78-B5552FAC958C}&siteid=myyahoo&dist=myyahoo "There are many others including the highly regarded Spyware Eliminator from Aluria which seems to be in the middle of a conflict of interest debate you can read about at the Castlecops website at http://castlecops.com/article-5523-nested-0-0.html. Currently I cannot recommend this program until these issues are resolved." "Will COAST be Toast?" "Will Aluria be Eliminated?" Aluria has already taken measures in the past to stop comments about their own privacy policy. One smart reader spotted an old cache archive and found that Spywareguide was correct: http://castlecops.com/article-5516-nested-0-0.html A website called AdwareReport was highly critical of the Spywareguide article, but history has shown that Spywareguide reported on factual -- albeit dated -- Aluria privacy policy. BroadbandReports picked up on this Aluria defending their certification of WhenU: http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/58066?r=236 It appears that here too, public commentary does not favor Aluria. WildersSecurity picked up the story and made "The Lure of Aluria" available for readers: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=55643 This was one of the articles Spywareguide was ordered by Aluria to cease and desist. Earlier Suzi at SpywareWarrior is Baffled by Aluria: http://netrn.net/spywareblog/archives/2004/11/22/baffled-by-aluria/ SpywareInfo delisted Aluria from their database: http://www.spywareinfo.com/newsletter/archives/1104/4.php The companies that exist as members of COAST today (notice Webroot was not yet removed): http://www.coast-info.org/members.htm 1) http://www.pestpatrol.com/ 2) http://www.aluriasoftware.com/ 3) http://www.webroot.com/wb/index.php (Announced today they are no longer a member) 4) http://www.noadware.net/ 5) http://www.new.net/ 6) http://www.weatherbug.com/ It also appears 180solutions is not listed in the membership yet either. Weatherbug has known spyware: http://castlecops.com/startuplist-395.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-2128.html 180solutions known spyware: http://castlecops.com/startuplist-4847.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-5203.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-4691.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-5012.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-5150.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-5247.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-5275.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-6245.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-6574.html http://castlecops.com/startuplist-6832.html I'm sure the public would like to know from Computer Associates who now own PestPatrol. Will they continue to remain partners with COAST? As Wayne put it, "Is COAST Toast"? trackbacks: http://alpha.revenews.com/MT/mt-tb.cgi/337 http://castlecops.com/trackback/News/5719 -- Regards, Paul Laudanski - Computer Cops, LLC. CastleCops(SM) - http://castlecops.com http://cuddlesnkisses.com | http://justalittlepoke.com | http://zhen-xjell.com _________________________________________ Bellua Cyber Security Asia 2005 - http://www.bellua.com/bcs2005
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