Badware, which comes in the form of spyware, malware and adware, is malicious software that tracks clicks online and feeds that information back to certain marketing groups so that they can ambush surfers with targeted ads. It also can affect the way a computer runs if infected, according to the coalition’s website StopBadware.org.
The popup alert displays the message, “Warning – the site you are about to visit may harm your computer.” The link then leads to a general page on the coalition’s website. In order for the warning to be displayed, the site must have been formally submitted to StopBadware.org. The coalition was established by Harvard Law’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society along with Oxford University’s Oxford Internet Institute. Tech giants Lenovo and Sun Microsystems also support the coalition.
The tricky thing about badware according to the coalition, is that most users don’t even know they’ve downloaded it. Some types of badware accompany downloads, while others might install by watching media or playing a game on a website. This can lead to slowdowns, computer crashes and even identity theft.
“These are applications not necessarily referenced in end-user agreements,” Sophos senior security consultant Ron O'Brien told TechNewsWorld. “For instance, if a user were to download a screen saver from a website, it might come with a payload with adware or spyware associated with it. What Google and we are proposing to do is give Internet users more information about the potential application that they are about to download.”
Sophos currently is developing a similar product that will analyze suspect sites before they load.
While stopping badware at the search engine level is a new approach, experts feel that due to Google’s global popularity it will be an important tool in combating a big problem.