NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] ComputerCOP: the dubious "Internet Safety Software" given to US families
ComputerCOP: the dubious "Internet Safety Software" given to US families
(Ars): http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/10/computercop-the-dubious-internet-safety-software-given-to-families-nationwide/
Police chiefs, sheriffs, and district attorneys have handed out
hundreds of thousands of copies of the disc to parents for free at
schools, libraries, and community events, usually as a part of an
"Internet Safety" outreach initiative. (You can see the long list of
ComputerCOP outlets here.) The packaging typically features the
agency's official seal and the chief's portrait, with a signed message
warning of the "dark and dangerous off-ramps" of the Internet. As
official as it looks, ComputerCOP is actually just spyware, generally
bought in bulk from a New York company that appears to do nothing but
market this software to local government agencies using shady
information. The way ComputerCOP works is neither safe nor secure. It
isn't particularly effective either, except for generating positive PR
for the law enforcement agencies distributing it. As security software
goes, we observed a product with a keystroke-capturing function, also
called a "keylogger," that could place a family's personal information
at extreme risk by transmitting those keystoke logs over the Internet
to third-party servers without encryption. That means many versions of
ComputerCOP leave children (and their parents, guests, friends, and
anyone using the affected computer) exposed to the same predators,
identity thieves, and bullies that police claim the software protects
against. Furthermore, by providing a free keylogging
program--software that operates without even the most basic security
safeguards--law enforcement agencies are passing around what amounts
to a spying tool that could easily be abused by people who want to
snoop on spouses, roommates, or co-workers.
- - -
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
I am a consultant to Google -- I speak only for myself, not for them.
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://google.com/+LaurenWeinstein
Twitter: http://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
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