Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 22:12:11 -0500 (EST)
From: Paul Laudanski <zx@...tlecops.com>
To: bugtraq@...urityfocus.com, <full-disclosure@...ts.netsys.com>,
        <isn@...rition.org>
Subject: Webroot Software Resigns from COAST


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



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