Release of Spector Pro Review and Commentary

Spyware package Spector Pro is briefly examined and discussed. Our findings include mechanisms to detect Spector Pro's presence and the discovery that employers who use the system could well compromise proprietary data by handing it over to Spectorsoft.

COLUMBUS, OHIO (May 7, 2002). Interhack's Internet Privacy Project announces the release of its review and commentary on the spyware package "Spector Pro 3.1 for Windows".

Key findings include the arms-race nature of spyware technology, the nature of Spector Pro's hiding capability, and mechanisms to detect Spector Pro's presence. Additionally, several risks that might not be expected are identified.

"People might believe that they're simply using a software package that will show them what their children, employees, or others are doing," said Matt Curtin, Interhack's Founder and author ofDeveloping Trust: Online Privacy and Security (Apress, 2001). "What they might not realize, however, is that they're also enabling Spectorsoft to see what is being done on their machines. In effect, parents using this software are showing Spectorsoft what their children are doing on the computer. Employers might be compromising the privacy of their own proprietary data."

About Interhack

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Interhack (http://web.interhack.com) is a firm dedicated to computer trustworthiness, engaged in research, development, and consulting for clients all over North America. Interhack's services offerings include privacy and security assessments, development services, and forensic analysis.

About Internet Privacy Project

Interhack's Internet Privacy Project is a research effort to document privacy ramifications of Internet-aware systems released for public use. Its goal is to document failures to support user privacy so that developers of future systems can avoid making the mistakes of their predecessors.