Posted on 12/17/2004 4:26:44 AM PST by goldstategop
Microsoft Acquires Anti-Spyware Leader GIANT Company
New Offerings Will Help Customers Keep SpywareAnd Other Deceptive Software Off Their Computers
REDMOND, Wash. -- Dec. 16, 2004 -- Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has acquired GIANT Company Software Inc., a provider of top-rated anti-spyware and Internet security products. Microsoft will use intellectual property and technology assets from the acquisition to provide Microsoft® Windows® customers with new tools to help protect them from the threat of spyware and other deceptive software. In addition, key personnel from GIANT Company will be joining Microsoft's security efforts.
"Spyware is a serious and growing problem for PC users, and customers have made it clear that they want Microsoft to deliver effective solutions to protect against the threat," said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of the Security Business and Technology Unit at Microsoft. "Through this acquisition we're excited to be able to provide near-term relief to Windows customers by offering new technology to help keep spyware and other deceptive software off their PCs."
Microsoft plans to make available to Windows customers a beta version of a spyware protection, detection and removal tool, based on the GIANT AntiSpyware product, within one month. The upcoming beta will scan a customer's PC to locate spyware and other deceptive software threats and enable customers to remove them. The tool will be configurable to block known spyware and other unwanted software from being installed on the computer. It will be available for Microsoft Windows 2000 and later versions.
Spyware is an emerging breed of malicious software that can range from unwanted pop-up ads to unseen programs that record keystrokes or take over a person's PC. Spyware and other unwanted software can slow PC performance, change a computer's configuration, and steal passwords and personal information. A November 2004 IDC study estimated that 67 percent of consumer PCs are infected with some form of spyware.
"Spyware is an industrywide challenge, and it is encouraging to see Microsoft take strong action to protect Windows users," said Chris Christiansen, vice president of security products and services program at IDC. "This announcement and the release of the free beta will help consumers regain control over their PCs."
"Microsoft's investment in GIANT Company means Windows customers will benefit from our anti-spyware technology, which puts the control of software back into the hands of users where it belongs," said Ron Franczyk, co-founder and president of technology at GIANT Company. "The GIANT solution uses extensive spyware-signature databases, real-time security agents and an innovative 'neighborhood watch' for spyware to protect customers from the threat of spyware and other deceptive software."
Terms of the acquisition were not announced. Details of the Microsoft solution beyond the planned beta, including product plans, pricing and a timeline for delivery, are not yet available. The anti-spyware technology will complement the enhanced security features available in Windows XP Service Pack 2 to provide a higher level of protection for Web browsing and other Internet computing activities. Microsoft strongly recommends that customers use an anti-spyware solution in addition to following the three simple steps outlined at http://www.microsoft.com/protect: Use an Internet firewall on all PCs, update all PCs regularly with the latest security updates, and use up-to-date antivirus software.
Good! We may now have one click protection!
They're releasing a beta in a month. It looks like it will incorporate the best of Ad-aware and Javacool's Spyblaster.
It is the near 100% utilization of Microsoft IE and Windows that enable the Spyware makers to get such dramatic penetration.
If everyone in the world has the same lock, a crook only needs one key.
Windows runs on 90% of the world's computers. Spyware writers write scumware for Windows cause like Willie Sutton once said about banks - "that's where the money is."
....more than likely...Microsoft bought this company because it doesn't want FUTURE problems with loading it's OWN brand of spyware on 90% of the worlds computers.
LOL! Some folks, especially Mac and Linux aficionados consider Microsoft itself to be malicious spyware.
Most likely right. These folks who think that MS is doing something altruistic don't remember their history.
Microsoft wants to dominate the PC, the TV, and the Phone. Then they hope to control every appliance you'll ever own and then some. They've come a long way from the day they just wrote a few lines of DOS code for IBM.
The question is.......Microsoft provide.....or SELL us protection.
Resistance is futile.
THEY (Bill Gates) didn't. It was originally bought from another company that used it internally on their own computers.....
Only the Mafia SELLS protection. Right?.......
So much for innovation. Microsoft is being dragged along by market trends.
Everyone in the industry knows Microsoft has left giant loopholes in its browser for years which have helped to create this mess.
A large part of this situation, at least for the moment, can be resolved at the browser level which is why switching to Mozilla's Firefox is so effective.
I am irrated over how much time and energy I waste just to patch and fix up problems which were and continue to be preventable.
I am not claiming that fixing the browser is the magic bullet. Education of users on the dangers of downloading free stuff like screensavers and everything else under the sun is important as well.
Hopefully they will be updated as fast as the A-holes come out with new malicious garbage.
In New Jersey, corruption is everywhere. Beginning with the governor's office and the NJ Supreme Court.
Microsoft Virus ping
"....more than likely...Microsoft bought this company because it doesn't want FUTURE problems with loading it's OWN brand of spyware on 90% of the worlds computers."
amen...that's what I was gonna say
Why do the voter's put up with it? Do they have "Sunshine Laws" in NJ? Or is NJ just a Chicago-Style Gangland state?....
Repubs and Dems are equally corrupt in NJ. They love their crooked pols.
All hogs who eat at the trough smell the same......
Other than a few state legislators there is nothing exemplary here.
Microsoft’s deal with Giant Software has glitches
"Another company from Clearwater, Fla. has claimed that it had a deal with Giant Software and they have exclusive rights over certain aspects of the anti-spyware programs they developed. This deal could mean that only Sunbelt Software has the rights to develop and sell software based on the current products."
How about making it a crime to mine data unless the perp is notified and willing ?
Spyware Solutions: Technology and Leadership
Microsoft's strategy for addressing spyware and other potentially unwanted software
Published: December 17, 2004
The spyware challenge
Spyware has risen to the top of many computer users' lists as one of the most vexing challenges they face today. Microsoft customers echo analysts, partners, government leaders, and consumer advocacy groups in identifying spyware as a serious problem for the entire PC industry.
Equal parts security threat, privacy threat, and nuisance, this emerging class of software has risen quickly from obscurity to near ubiquity. Recent research underscores the point: a November 2004 study by analyst firm IDC estimates that 67 percent of consumer's PCs are infected with some form of spyware1. The seemingly phantom nature of the problem combined with its increasingly hazardous impact threatens to undermine trust in computing as significantly as more well-known challenges such as viruses and worms. Customers have made it clear that they look to Microsoft to deliver powerful solutions in response to the threat.
The effects of spyware on the individual computer user range from minor annoyances to serious impacts on computer performance, security, and privacy. More often than not, spyware-related issues reported by users come in the form of one or more of these common symptoms:
• Unauthorized pop-up advertisements, even when not browsing the Web
• A change to the browser home page or default search engine without user consent, which often resists attempts to change it back
• A new and unwanted toolbar on the browser, which often resists attempts to remove it
• Sudden and dramatic slowdown in computer performance
• Increase in crashes of Windows, your Web browser or common applications
Microsoft and its Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Internet Service Provider (ISP) partners are witnessing an increasing number of support calls related to spyware, which is further evidence that customers are being negatively affected.
Spyware and other unwanted software refers to a wide range of programs that perform actions such as displaying advertising, tracking Web sites visited, or changing the configuration of a computer. Though these are the most common forms of spyware, attention is often focused on less common but more potentially harmful forms, such as programs that record keystrokes, collect personal information and send it to a third party, or remotely control a computer's resources. The key in all cases is whether or not users understand what the software will do and have agreed to install the software on their computers.
As an industry leader, Microsoft is focused on relieving customers of the pain caused by spyware and other potentially unwanted software, and is deeply committed to effectively answering this challenge.
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The Microsoft strategy
Computer users around the world increasingly rely on software to perform an ever-widening array of tasks, from home entertainment to mission-critical business operations, and much more. Microsoft's approach to software is distinguished by its vision of an open and extensible platform. The powerful core components and open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) of the Windows platform offer unbridled opportunities for software development, innovation, and learning.
As the platform of choice for millions of customers and developers around the world, Windows continues to provide a foundation for new stages of growth and opportunity. Unfortunately, the popularity of the Windows platform has also been accompanied by a rise in activity by hackers, criminals, and others who seek to exploit its capabilities. The challenge for Microsoft and other responsible technology providers is to enable the increasingly powerful benefits of the PC platform while also protecting the integrity of the computing experience. In the case of spyware, this means helping to ensure user security and privacy and keeping the PC free of unwanted software.
Microsoft's vision for anti-spyware is that customers should be empowered to make informed decisions about the software that installs and runs on their computers. Microsoft will take steps toward this vision by making it easier for customers to gain insight into what's running on the system, to better discern good software from bad software, and to block and remove spyware from a PC. To accomplish this, Microsoft is taking specific approaches in the following areas:
Technology
Microsoft will provide solutions to protect Windows users with technology to block, find, and remove spyware and other potentially unwanted software.
Consumer Guidance & Engagement
Microsoft will provide resources to help inform and educate customers on how to prevent spyware and other potentially unwanted software from impacting their PCs.
Industry Collaboration
Microsoft will collaborate with industry leaders to identify and address spyware.
Legislation & Law Enforcement
Microsoft will work to help discourage the development and distribution of spyware and other unwanted software.
Technology
Technical anti-spyware solutions are still emerging. They are often limited in their ability to effectively block, detect, and remove spyware. Microsoft believes that Windows users should know:
• What software is installed on their PC
• Where that software came from
• What that software does
• How that software was invoked
• How that software can be disabled or removed
The December 2004 acquisition of Giant Company Software's anti-spyware technology accelerates Microsoft's capability to provide customers with solutions that will empower them to help keep spyware off of their computers, while also helping to protect user privacy. In January 2005, Microsoft will deliver a beta of a new spyware prevention, detection, and removal solution that customers can use to help provide protection from spyware, rapidly respond to new threats, and gain improved visibility and control of all programs running on their PCs. The beta will be available to users of Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. Beyond the beta offering, details on timing and terms of availability for new anti-spyware offerings are yet to be determined.
For the best anti-spyware solution from Microsoft, the security enhancements in Windows XP Service Pack 2 will combine with the capabilities of the anti-spyware technology acquired from Giant Company to provide the following important benefits:
• Continuous spyware protection. This will help customers identify and then disable or remove known spyware and other potentially unwanted software from their PCs. Customers experiencing the common symptoms mentioned above can use this solution to rid their PCs of existing spyware and help keep their computers in working order.
The Giant Company spyware removal engine uses a regularly updated database of thousands of signatures—definitions of known potential threats—to scan a computer's memory, files, and registry for spyware and other unwanted software. Users will be able to learn more about spyware that is discovered on their PC using the online spyware library, a comprehensive Web database that contains descriptions of known spyware.
In addition to detecting and removing known threats, Microsoft's solution will also provide always-on protection to actively prevent spyware from being installed on a PC.
Windows XP Service Pack 2 already provides protection against two common ways that spyware installs itself on a PC. The new pop-up blocker in Internet Explorer helps prevent installation via pop-up ads, and the Internet Explorer information bar also helps suppress unsolicited downloads.
The Giant Company technology provides protection against a number of additional vectors through which spyware can infiltrate a system. It includes real-time protection agents that constantly monitor more than 50 security "checkpoints" for changes made by spyware and other unwanted software. If known spyware is detected at these checkpoints it will be blocked. If an unknown program is detected at a "checkpoint", intelligent notifications ask the user to determine whether to let the program continue. The following types of agents monitor the security checkpoints:
• Internet agents. These agents help protect against spyware that makes unauthorized connections to the Internet or changes a computer's Internet settings such as dial-up or wireless connectivity.
• System agents. These agents help protect against spyware that makes unauthorized changes to the computer, such as changing password settings, security permissions, or other critical system settings.
• Application agents. These agents help protect against spyware that makes changes to applications, such as: modifying Internet Explorer by adding an unwanted toolbar, automatically downloading Internet Explorer add-ons from the Internet, or starting potentially unwanted programs when the computer is turned on.
• Rapid response. Because new instances of spyware are constantly emerging, anti-spyware software needs to be updated with the latest spyware signatures. Microsoft will provide regular signature updates, which the software will automatically download and install, helping to protect customers from the latest threats.
A team of spyware researchers at Microsoft will be dedicated to discovering new spyware and other potentially unwanted software. When a new threat is identified, researchers will create new signatures that will be made available to all users of the anti-spyware solution.
Microsoft will also harness the power of a large network of anti-spyware solution users to quickly discover new spyware. Users can choose to send any new suspicious or unknown software that is discovered to Microsoft through the SpyNet™ Anti-Spyware Community ("SpyNet"). Items sent to SpyNet will be analyzed by researchers at Microsoft. If they are deemed to be spyware, a signature will be written and made available to all users.
• Improved visibility and control. This capability will help users know what software is running on their computer and how to remove or disable it. Spyware typically installs itself without a user's knowledge or consent. There is often no way that even most experts could detect whether or not the software is running or how to remove it. The Microsoft anti-spyware solution will enable customers to easily detect and remove hidden or unwanted programs from their computer.
The new Internet Explorer add-on manager in Windows XP Service Pack 2 provides advanced users and support professionals with a way to see which Internet Explorer browser add-ons are installed and running. Using this new feature, add-ons installed without user consent can be easily removed.
Expanding on this concept, Microsoft's anti-spyware solution will provide a view of all programs and services running on a PC. These views, called system explorers, enable the user to make an informed decision about what should be allowed to run on the PC. System explorers cover include the following areas:
• Applications. Informs the user of programs that are running, programs that are communicating on the Internet, programs that start automatically when the computer is turned on, and add-ons that are being used for Internet Explorer.
• Internet Explorer. Informs the user of the current Internet Explorer browser settings (such as default home page), what toolbars are loaded, and what browser helper objects (like integrated file viewers or music players) are being used.
• Networking. Informs the user of software that may automatically redirect the computer to unwanted Internet sites or change information coming to the computer over the Internet.
• System. Informs the user of programs running that listen to all commands executed on a computer.
Anti-spyware technology from Microsoft will provide customers with the benefits explained above. Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users are encouraged to evaluate the beta when it is made available in January 2005.
Consumer guidance and engagement
Consumers tell Microsoft they are often confused by deceptive advertisements or alerts that result in downloading spyware. They are also often unaware of spyware that comes bundled with "free" programs they download. To address this confusion, Microsoft will provide trusted resources for customers to remove and avoid spyware. To date, Microsoft has launched a web site at http://www.microsoft.com/spyware. In the near future, Microsoft will add newsgroups related to spyware, and call on the security expertise of its "Most Valuable Professionals" to assist the online community on spyware related issues.
Industry collaboration
Today, industry leaders utilize different approaches for addressing spyware, which limits their ability to have a broad, coordinated impact in addressing the problem. Microsoft will collaborate with industry players to share best practices and create common ways of identifying and addressing spyware issues. Industry wide best practices will create an incentive for legitimate software publishers to distinguish themselves from less scrupulous publishers and minimize the risk of being classified with those who engage in unwanted behavior. For example, Microsoft is committed to working with other companies to evolve definitions and common understandings of unwanted software. Microsoft is also actively engaged with other industry groups such as the Center for Democracy & Technology and its Consumer Software Working Group to help focus regulatory and enforcement efforts on truly deceptive practices. Finally, Microsoft also works with top OEM and ISP partners to share best practices for identifying new instances of spyware and supporting customers.
Legislation and law enforcement
Few laws currently apply to the development or distribution of spyware. Consequently, law enforcement agencies are limited in their ability to identify and pursue those that develop and distribute spyware. Microsoft will continue to discourage the development of spyware and other unwanted software by working with the appropriate government leaders and law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of spyware are forced to cease such practices. Microsoft will cooperate with law enforcement and regulatory agencies to assist them in their efforts to enforce existing laws regarding unwanted practices (such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in the United States and similar international consumer protection laws). Such enforcement could put some of the most insidious violators out of business, which would have a significant impact on the amount and type of spyware produced and distributed. Microsoft will continue to work with legislators on solutions as needed for those practices not already considered illegal under existing laws. It is also important to note that Microsoft believes any legislation should be carefully crafted to avoid unnecessary regulation on legitimate programs that enhance a computer user's experience.
Vision for the future
The threat of spyware and other unwanted software, like all security threats, is unlikely to ever be fully eradicated. Hackers, criminals, and others with ill intent will always attempt to circumvent the intentions and protections of users in an effort to exploit computers and networks for vandalism or profit. However, Microsoft is deeply committed to continuing its increasingly intensive efforts to counter security threats, and spyware will remain an issue that is central to the company's work.
The Microsoft anti-spyware vision is that computer users should simply be able to see and understand the software that is running on their computers and they have the power to prevent or remove software they do not want. This vision drove the acquisition of Giant Company Software, and it will inform Microsoft's efforts in future versions of its products.
Microsoft's long-term goal is that spyware and other unwanted software will cease to be a major issue for customers. Microsoft understands the concerns of the right for privacy and fully supports a person's right to be left alone. Customers should be free to access to any of their personal information and control over how it is used. They must be able to trust that their personal information is being used appropriately. Microsoft regards the protection of customer information as a vital element of trust, and it regards customer trust as vital to the success of its business.
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What customers can do
Microsoft invites customers to install and run the beta anti-spyware solution, scheduled for availability in January 2005. It will be available at http://www.microsoft.com/spyware.
In the meantime, Microsoft strongly recommends that customers use an anti-spyware solution in addition to regularly following the three simple steps outlined at http://www.microsoft.com/protect, which are to: (1) use Internet firewall on all PCs, (2) update all PCs with the latest security updates, and (3) use up-to-date antivirus software.
Additionally, Windows XP users should install Windows XP Service Pack 2 with advanced security technologies to help you protect against viruses, hackers, and worms.
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For more information
More information about Microsoft and its efforts to address computer security, including spyware customer guidance and information on anti-spyware solutions, is available at http://www.microsoft.com/spyware.
After reading what I assume to be a MS press release in your post #32 I'm guessing that MS will release a beta version of MS/Giant on the 15th, but the kicker will be- and this is just a guess on my part - but I'll bet cha it won't work with Firefox.
And who even heard of Giant AntiSPYWARE before MS bought them? Not me. And if you go to the Microsoft page on How to get rid of Spyware aparently MS never did either because the only programs they recomend are Ad-aware and Spybot-Search and destroy.
I have a funny feeling that I'm gonna be disappointed on the 15th.
btw, all your links in post 32 contain the end punctuation and don't work. Gotta watch that.;-)
BTTT
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