Spyware fight attracts a crowd

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WASHINGTON--Four groups have sprung up to fight the insidious software that pops up ads on screens or spies on PC users. Is that too much of a good thing?
Last month, the number of efforts to fight adware and spyware doubled with the announcement of two new initiatives: Spywaretesting.org, a consortium of antivirus companies, and StopBadware.org, an initiative led by two universities. These join the Trusted Download Program and the Anti-Spyware Coalition, both formed last year. The new initiatives were the hot hallway topic outside an event hosted by the Anti-Spyware Coalition here Thursday. People there disagreed on whether more is merrier. Some predict the efforts will collide, as each group is dedicated to helping consumers deal with the insidious software. Others say the peer pressure will keep each organization on its toes, helping the cause. "To many of us, it is completely baffling why there are so many different groups out there," said Alex Eckelberry, president of Sunbelt Software, a maker of anti-spyware tools. Sunbelt has not joined any of the efforts in order to maintain its independence, he said. According to a Pew Internet & American Life Project study published last year, roughly 59 million American adults have spyware or adware on their computers. Other experts have said as many as 80 percent of consumers' PCs are infected with the annoying software. Eric Allred, who works at Anti-Spyware Coalition member Microsoft as an anti-spyware response coordinator, said the existence of several bodies could make the work of each group less effective. That could hurt their overall goal of protecting consumers, he said. But more voices can only help, said David Fewer, a staff counsel at the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, a consumer advocacy group in Ottawa associated with the Anti-Spyware Coalition. "More consumer education is a good thing, especially if these groups have consistent messaging, which I think they do," he said. Each of the four groups appears to be dedicated to a distinct purpose, said Tori Case, director of security management at Computer Associates International. Though the goals of each group sometimes overlap, that spread should help stop them stepping on each other's toes. "That provides focus," she said. "You risk losing focus and (having) conflict of interest in a large organization."