Stopping Badware

Programs that install "bundled" programs onto your computer without informing you…web sites that try to install "drive-by downloads" every time you visit…advertisements for software that attempt to load mysterious programs onto your computer. How does a computer owner make sense of it all?

One non-profit firm has set out to make a difference. StopBadWare.Org is set up as a clearinghouse for websites and programs that meet their definition of Badware. What's that definition?

1. Programs should declare their intentions and reporting practices in advance, allowing the user to decide if they want to accept the risk. The user should have the option of saying "No, I don't want my every online move to be reported to some advertising server somewhere," and canceling the install. The same holds true for any bundled programs as well.

2. Programs should not make changes to the system outside of their own installation. For example, a virus program that shuts down antivirus programs, or a drive-by download that blocks access to antivirus and anti-spyware sites, both count as "badware."

3. Uninstallation of programs should be clear and obvious, like having the program appear in Windows' Add/Remove Programs list. You shouldn't have to go hunting through the Windows Registry to discover the program, and then hunt across the Internet for a program that removes it from your computer.

Using their definition, all viruses, Trojans, and worms are Badware, along with most (if not all) forms of adware and spyware.

Google has also joined in the badware campaign. Their search engines now recognize when a site might be dangerous, and flag it. Searchers can still visit the site, but they have to go through a validation step to get there.

StopBadWare.Org is building a huge directory of programs and websites to avoid, making it a great starting point for anyone interested in keeping malware off of their system.