using spyware in the enterprise

[Craig Hillyard]

Dear Sirs,

I would like to pass some feedback regarding the spyware program, I have
found it useful in solving a number of problems and in cleaning up spyware
from machines and helping to stop it coming back, and cannot wait until the
final release. My angle is coming from purely the business computing
environment.

A few observations, I have installed it individually on a number of machines
and not yet tried to push it out on a corporate networking using group
policies and software install procedures so cannot comment on how this would
work. I was however, trying to find out if any group policy templates
existing for controlling the settings globally, and I mean being able to
control the settings when it has been deployed to over a 100 machines.
Corporations need effective controls just as much as home users.

One of the things that I have found the tool doing is that is trying to
reverse settings made by group policy, for example we have a group policy
that sets a user home page and controls the security zones within Internet
Explorer. The tool keeps alerting the user to the fact that the group
policy is changing settings that are trying to be initiated via the group
policies.

What are the plans for using spyware within the corporate environment?

In terms of cost, don't you think it should be free, given that Microsoft
has a responsibility to ensure a safe computing environment and the problems
are caused by


/ Craig Hillyard
Senior Network Engineer for Gold Certified Partner.
MCP, MCSA, MCSE

 

[Ron Chamberlin]

Hi Craig,

I would like to pass some feedback regarding the spyware program,>

MS reads these, so your comments are welcome!

A few observations, I have installed it individually on a number of
machines and not yet tried to push it out on a corporate networking using
group policies and software install procedures so cannot comment on how
this would work.>

First, it's a Beta, and really shouldn't be out on production machines.
Second, there was an Enterprise Version announced last week just after the
announcement of the Sybari purchase. No details on timing, contents etc. are
known, but the Enterprise version will have a cost associated with it.

In terms of cost, don't you think it should be free, >

Uhh. There will be no cost for MSAS to licensed Windows users. Also
announced last week.

<....given that Microsoft has a responsibility to ensure a safe computing
environment and the problems are caused by.....>
Whereas the sentence didn't come thru complete, I won't challenge what you
were going to say.

If you were to say that a great number of the problems are caused by people
clicking too fast at anything that is cute or free, won't take time to read
EULA's, and won't bother to have a current up to date AV program, or turn on
their firewall or run WU, I would agree.

Ron Chamberlin
MS-MVP

 

[Andre Da Costa]

An Enterprise Edition with support for Central Management and Group policy
editor support is in the works, this current edition it seems is targetted
specifically at the home user.