US gov targets spyware outfit

October 11, 2004 D. H. McKee

Off

A company which makes software that infiltrates users’ computers and demands $30 to be removed has been targeted by US authorities.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is has asked a federal court to shut down the operations of Seismic Entertainment Productions and SmartBot.Net. The FTC action was initiated after it received a complaint from a Washington consumer group, the Center for Democracy and Technology. This is the first time that the FTC has taken action against a company that produces so-called “spyware”.
The software exploits a flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer to gain access to a computer without the users’ knowledge. The spyware interferes with the operation of the web browser, causes CD-ROM trays to slide open, slows down the computer or causes it to stop working entirely. The spyware then invokes a number of pop-up messages which urge consumers to buy programs called Spy Wiper or Spy Deleter to fix the problem for a fee of $30. Regardless of the veracity of the FTC’s allegations, this tactic is not unknown among unethical spyware developers.
US gov targets spyware outfit | The Register

Comments are closed.

About This Site

As a guy who occasionally curates art shows and wrangles artists together, I often have to edit and post artist bios, profile pictures, and artwork images. This can be a problem, since many artists and writers aren’t used to selling themselves. Artists rarely know how to present their art for display in a brochure, and writers aren’t used to writing about themselves.

Writers often treat the bio like it’s an interview or something. Maybe like they’re having a conversation with you, the reader. While it may work sometimes, the most common way to write a bio is to write in the 3rd person.

I’m like those writers, and I’m talking to you directly, unlike the common way to do a bio. You should see my About page. It makes sense to me, since this is a bit which describes my blog’s website. When I get famous enough that I don’t have time to talk to you, I’ll have an intern write everything in 3rd person. Until then, you get to talk to me.

Like blogs of old, this one is a personal document of the comings and goings of me. Articles I’ve written, links I’ve posted, videos I liked, etc. Here, a first-person perspective is the way to go, at least for now. So, this is my site. I’m D. H. McKee, a sometimes artist, sometimes writer. Mostly just a guy on the internet.