[Donna]

Quote

Users should not trust the installer of an application until you’ve confirmed that it is safe to install the program.

What am I referring to?

Last month I downloaded Hotbar toolbar to test the real time protector of some antispyware programs that offer real time protection.

Please see the test result here.

Below is the screenshot of Hotbar installer:



Today, I downloaded Hotbar toolbar again and the installer now shows:



The first image states that Hotbar is a “Microsoft Certified Partner”.

Certifed for what?

Are they trying to convince users that their product is safe to install?

IT'S NOT!

Please see Ben Edelman's site to learn more.

Please understand that if software, or a company, is certified, it does not mean that Microsoft (or any other certification services) is endorsing their product nor services.

You are advised to check with the security forums nearby before running any installers. Seek advise whether it is safe to install or not. You can also use Spy Chaser to check whether that application you want to install is known or bundled with spyware!

Please also use IE-SPYADS of Eric L. Howes, 3rd party HOSTS files, SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard. If you try to download software or visit a site that is known as bad, your browser will not connect to the download page nor web site.

These defenses will protect your computer from installing unwanted programs or visiting rogue sites that might hijack your browser or change the way your computer works!

http://dozleng.com/i...tsecurity/?p=49

Kindly view our Disclaimer on Product Reviews and Research

[boopme]

Donna, on Jun 9 2005, 03:54 AM, said:

Quote

Users should not trust the installer of an application until you’ve confirmed that it is safe to install the program.

What am I referring to?

Last month I downloaded Hotbar toolbar to test the real time protector of some antispyware programs that offer real time protection.

Please see the test result here.

Below is the screenshot of Hotbar installer:



Today, I downloaded Hotbar toolbar again and the installer now shows:



The first image states that Hotbar is a “Microsoft Certified Partner”.

Certifed for what?

Are they trying to convince users that their product is safe to install?

IT'S NOT!

Please see Ben Edelman's site to learn more.

Please understand that if software, or a company, is certified, it does not mean that Microsoft (or any other certification services) is endorsing their product nor services.

You are advised to check with the security forums nearby before running any installers. Seek advise whether it is safe to install or not. You can also use Spy Chaser to check whether that application you want to install is known or bundled with spyware!

Please also use IE-SPYADS of Eric L. Howes, 3rd party HOSTS files, SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard. If you try to download software or visit a site that is known as bad, your browser will not connect to the download page nor web site.

These defenses will protect your computer from installing unwanted programs or visiting rogue sites that might hijack your browser or change the way your computer works!

http://dozleng.com/i...tsecurity/?p=49
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hello Donna, I truly learned an awful lot here today. Thank you for your ime and consideration. I've just finished the COU sophomore course and browsed my way to this post. My question is why were there 2 different resulting images? Was it the result of having installed the "Spy Chaser?"

[hewee]

Hotbar has always been spyware but now that MS has there own anti-syware program I guess they wanted to do away with having there name on hotbar.
Was not hotbar a download from MS website too for IE skins Or was that called something else but still it had the spyware on it.

[Donna]

boopme, on Mar 20 2006, 05:00 PM, said:

Hello Donna, I truly learned an awful lot here today. Thank you for your ime and consideration. I've just finished the COU sophomore course and browsed my way to this post. My question is why were there 2 different resulting images? Was it the result of having installed the "Spy Chaser?"
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi boopme,
Are you referring to the above images? If so, no
The above images has nothing to do with Spy Chaser. Spy Chaser will let you find whether the progam that you want to download is known to its database as spyware or not by simply typing its name or part of its name.

[Donna]

hewee, on Mar 20 2006, 10:00 PM, said:

Hotbar has always been spyware but now that MS has there own anti-syware program I guess they wanted to do away with having there name on hotbar.
Was not hotbar a download from MS website too for IE skins Or was that called something else but still it had the spyware on it.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it's not hotbar. I mean hotbar is not created or offered by Microsoft.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downlo...on/default.mspx - this is the page where add-ons for IE is listed. Most toolbars or add-ons for IE in the list are created by 3rd party vendor/author.

Also some are in http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/results...&DisplayLang=en

[hewee]

No MS had skins you could get at there site from way back from the 95 or 98 days and it was from MS. They only had about 3 or 4 things you could get but like I said it was years ago so don't remember the other programs but I do remember the skin program and hearing bad things about it.

Spy Chaser has 946 programs it list and the types of spyware they have.
Or it list the programs that have these spyware programs on them

See attachment of the Spy Chaser spyware-list.

Attached File(s)

•  spyware_list.txt (18.48K)
  Number of downloads: 539

[boopme]

Donna, on Mar 21 2006, 04:02 AM, said:

boopme, on Mar 20 2006, 05:00 PM, said:

Hello Donna, I truly learned an awful lot here today. Thank you for your ime and consideration. I've just finished the COU sophomore course and browsed my way to this post. My question is why were there 2 different resulting images? Was it the result of having installed the "Spy Chaser?"
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi boopme,
Are you referring to the above images? If so, no
The above images has nothing to do with Spy Chaser. Spy Chaser will let you find whether the progam that you want to download is known to its database as spyware or not by simply typing its name or part of its name.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok ,Yes I was referring to those images. Thanks for your reply..