Can We Keep Up With Technology Countermeasures?
Topic: 4) A Random Walk
I read the following interesting news on SPAM and spyware ...


"In what could prove to be one the great second acts in Internet history, erstwhile king of spam Sanford Wallace takes center stage this week as exhibit A in a federal crackdown on invasive online advertising software."


"In the first action of its kind, the agency last week filed a civil lawsuit against Wallace, charging the admitted former junk e-mailer with fraudulently installing advertising and other software on consumers' computers through his network of Web sites. "


"'Very much like with spam and the spam legislation last year, spyware can be fought through a combination of efforts: enforcement, legislation, technology and consumer education,' said Dave Baker, an attorney for Internet service provider EarthLink, which has been an active participant in anti-spyware efforts."
source



I applaud Baker's efforts, but I wonder about the age we live in today where:
- computer viruses block anti-virus programs from reaching data updates for new viruses,
- teenagers are smart enough to hack into security measures developed by PhDs, mathematicians, and cryptographers in less than 15 minutes,
- SPAM email has overtaken the Internet (albeit CAN-SPAM legislation hasn't been around that long),
- telemarketers and telefaxers still contact my residence after repeated unsubscribe and subscriptions to do not call lists,
- venture capitalists and companies like Google are investing in blogging technologies for various reasons, some of which include because email is so cluttered by garbage,
- people are migrating off of the PC platform to the Macintosh to get away from the computer virus nightmare,
- and the beat goes on ...


Steve Shu
Managing Director
S4 Management Group
Email: sshu@s4management.com
Web: http://www.s4management.com