If you're at all interested in computer security and the dark side of online advertising, read this fantastic investigative piece by Brian Krebs for the Washington Post. He tracks down one example of the adware business, along the way describing the roles of the hacker with a botnet, the sleazy advertising company that supplies the dollars, and the horrible software provider that makes the uninstallable malware that shoves ads in front of people's faces.

What I find astounding is that some aspects of this business are so lucrative that American companies are trying to make them legitimate. It's shameful that a company with such an awful history as an adware provider was able to raise $40 million in venture capital.

You know your aunt's computer, the one with the porno ad software you can't remove? The people who knowingly finance and install that software belong in jail.

techbad
  2006-02-20 17:25 Z