I’m surprised we haven’t heard more about this:
Outfit Used Unsuspecting Bloggers to Spread its Malicious Code
An operation that uses the lure of free lyric files, browser upgrades, and ring tones to download spyware and adware on consumers’ computers has been ordered to halt its illegal downloads by a U.S. District Court at the request of the Federal Trade Commission. The court also halted the deceptive downloads of an affiliate who helped spread the malicious software by offering blogs free background music. The music code downloaded by the blogs was bundled with a program that flashed warnings to consumers who visited the blog sites about the security of their computer systems. Consumers who opted to upgrade by clicking, downloaded the spyware onto their computers. The court has frozen the organization’s assets pending a further hearing. The FTC will seek to bar the deceptive and unfair practices permanently and require the operators to give up their ill-gotten gains.
Ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.
Not the particular set of sumbeeshes I had to clean up after. A cease and desist order is a nice start, but it should be followed up by destroying, in their presence all the emoluments of wealth, the Rolexes and Boxsters, they have acquired thru this activity, and informing their insurance carriers why it was done, and that it will be done again if they pay off. Then one might contemplate a treatment reportedly administered to someone who had annoyed a Chicago area motorcycle “club” during the summer of ’68: beat ’em senseless, dress em’ in rags, with no ID, administer a meaningful dose of LSD and dump ’em in a freightcar leaving town. For starters,