Comments on: Social Book Marking - A Spyware Makers Dream? http://www.cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/ Computer related blog Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:05:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Sean at Prompt http://www.cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/#comment-615 Sean at Prompt Fri, 29 Sep 2006 09:26:06 +0000 http://cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/#comment-615 Yes, Digg is an influential website with lots of traffic. But it also has content filters - all the people who have to digg up a story to get it to the front page. Contrast that with a national newspaper site, for example, where you only have to convince one journalist who probably won't try the software, and Digg has more safeguards than many sites with similar traffic. It's a bit of a generalisation, but most spyware seems to be bundled with crappy applications. It's fresh software ideas that get the Diggers' attention and make it to the front page. Anyone capable of making something worthy of the front page is likely to have more pride in their code than to let it out with spyware in it. Also, users of Digg tend to be advanced computer users, and are likely to take precautions before installing software. I was shocked to see that you'd install software off the internet without scanning it. Never a good idea. Regarding the risk, it's far more likely that somebody would try to get a website that exploits a browser vulnerability on to the front page of Digg. Website content is a much cheaper investment than software development and it's open to a much wider audience (you can write about anything, and it's platform independent for getting the diggs if not spreading the infection). Yes, Digg is an influential website with lots of traffic. But it also has content filters - all the people who have to digg up a story to get it to the front page. Contrast that with a national newspaper site, for example, where you only have to convince one journalist who probably won’t try the software, and Digg has more safeguards than many sites with similar traffic.

It’s a bit of a generalisation, but most spyware seems to be bundled with crappy applications. It’s fresh software ideas that get the Diggers’ attention and make it to the front page. Anyone capable of making something worthy of the front page is likely to have more pride in their code than to let it out with spyware in it.

Also, users of Digg tend to be advanced computer users, and are likely to take precautions before installing software. I was shocked to see that you’d install software off the internet without scanning it. Never a good idea.

Regarding the risk, it’s far more likely that somebody would try to get a website that exploits a browser vulnerability on to the front page of Digg. Website content is a much cheaper investment than software development and it’s open to a much wider audience (you can write about anything, and it’s platform independent for getting the diggs if not spreading the infection).

]]> By: News doggy http://www.cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/#comment-610 News doggy Thu, 28 Sep 2006 18:09:20 +0000 http://cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/#comment-610 Good point. That would be a way to rapidly deploy malicious software. If you use a PC it is vital that you use Virus, spyware and a firewall these days. Otherwise just getting on the internet puts you at risk. Good point. That would be a way to rapidly deploy malicious software. If you use a PC it is vital that you use Virus, spyware and a firewall these days. Otherwise just getting on the internet puts you at risk.

]]> By: TechHerder http://www.cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/#comment-599 TechHerder Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:49:17 +0000 http://cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/#comment-599 Not only would they bury the post and remove it off the main page, but the diggers will go after the person who uploaded the spyware and find out every bit of information possible about them and post it for everyone else to see. If that person really caused some damage with their software they will feel the wrath of the diggers. Here's a flashback to what happened to an ecommerce site that tried to be bad last year: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20051130/1642232_F.shtml Not only would they bury the post and remove it off the main page, but the diggers will go after the person who uploaded the spyware and find out every bit of information possible about them and post it for everyone else to see. If that person really caused some damage with their software they will feel the wrath of the diggers.

Here’s a flashback to what happened to an ecommerce site that tried to be bad last year: techdirt.c...32_F.shtml

]]> By: Matt Grover http://www.cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/#comment-593 Matt Grover Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:17:45 +0000 http://cyber-knowledge.net/blog/2006/09/26/social-book-marking-a-spyware-makers-dream/#comment-593 An interesting and valid point, however in the case of Digg, I would guess that it would be picked up on rather quickly and the story "buried" by diggers, possibly even reported and removed by the Digg staff. An interesting and valid point, however in the case of Digg, I would guess that it would be picked up on rather quickly and the story “buried” by diggers, possibly even reported and removed by the Digg staff.

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