Avenue A, Inc., and DoubleClick

[Logic Rules]

When I scanned for problems with MSAS, I received no
problems detected statement but when I scanned with
SpyBot, immediately after, I get two problems: Avenue A,
Inc., and DoubleClick.
These are common problem areas. Why is MSAS not catching
these problems?

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Because they are cookies, and Microsoft Antispyware in this build, is not
scanning for cookies.

 

[Logic Rules]

Thank you,
I hope that this sort of thing will be included in an
update later.

 

[Andre]

I'd guess that Microsoft has ignored these "problems" as
non-issues (cookies set by valid affiliate marketing programs).

In my experience with SpyBot, it tags a lot of valid
cookies and bookmarks as threats... possibly to seem like a
more effective scan that it's competitors?

While I'm not a fan of info-gathering and info-storing
cookes, the fact is that you probably "requested" these
durring your surfing and they were written because your
browser was set to allow them. These two affiliate
marketing groups aren't actually installing malicious
software or greyware on your PC.

I'd applaud Microsoft for building a "smarter" mousetrap
than SpyBot. Try this: go into Internet
Explorer>Tools>Internet Options>General and click the
button to "Delete Cookies". Then re-run the SpyBot scan and
see if the two problems still exist. If not, you've proved
that SpyBot was incorrectly labelling these two cookies as
threats.

By intent and funtion, cookies aren't nessesarily bad.
Microsoft's software seems to only flag ones from domains
and groups it's determined are mal-ware or have mal-intent.

Sincerley,

Grant Andre

 

[Bullwinkle. J. Moose]

These are tracking cookies and the beta1 does not check cookies. Wait for
then final program or the next beta. Remember this is not a complete program
as yet.