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
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