Microsoft Anti spyware

[SG]

I find it strange that when I run the Microsoft anti
spyware scan, it finds nothing. I then run a full scan
with Ad-Aware, and this one immediately detects 5
critical objects (data miners). Does this program
function properly?

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Microsoft Antispyware, in the beta builds distributed thus far, does not
scan for cookies. Data miner is another name for one kind of cookie.

If you are concerned about cookies, continue to use ad-aware or an
alternative product that handles those.

The decision about whether the final product will selectively scan and
remove cookies may not have been made--so feedback about wanting this
functionality is desirable.

It is possible that the functionality might appear in a later beta build.

 

[Robin Walker [MVP]]

I find it strange that when I run the Microsoft anti
spyware scan, it finds nothing. I then run a full scan
with Ad-Aware, and this one immediately detects 5
critical objects (data miners). Does this program
function properly?

Yes, it is functioning as designed. It is well documented that Microsoft
AntiSpyware Beta 1 does not detect cookies. The so-called "data-miners",
about which AdAware makes such a fuss, are merely cookies.

Cookies are just passive text files, and cannot damage your PC, or your
operating system, or any of your software or settings.

 

[Andre Da Costa]

Cookies/dataminers are not detected in this beta 1 release of Microsoft
AntiSpyware.
Thats the current setup of the beta 1 release, please read the following
link:
http://blogs.technet.com/stevedod/archive/2005/02/23/378972.aspx
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Andre
Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
FAQ for MS AntiSpy http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/FAQ_MSantispy.htm

 

[PhilGreg]

Yes, it is functioning as designed. It is well documented that Microsoft
AntiSpyware Beta 1 does not detect cookies. The so-called "data-miners",
about which AdAware makes such a fuss, are merely cookies.

Cookies are just passive text files, and cannot damage your PC, or your
operating system, or any of your software or settings.

==> Let's put it all out there. Cookies can be used for tracking where a
surfer has been. Doubleclick, for example.

 

[Robin Walker [MVP]]

==> Let's put it all out there. Cookies can be used for tracking
where a surfer has been. Doubleclick, for example.

Yes, that is one application of cookies: so, for instance, an internet sales
site can ascertain which advert of theirs on another site converted to a
sale on their site. They can then reward the site that hosted the advert.

But the cookie doesn't track where the "surfer" (as a person) has been: the
cookie does not contain information about the user's identity. The cookie
tracks where the PC has been, rather than the user.

 

[SG]

Thank you for clearing that up.
Can't help but wonder though: why would anyone make an
anti spyware program unable to detect cookies???

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I think there is a genuine philosophical/legal argument going on about how
to handle cookies.

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