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FW: OT Warning: 'Incredimail' = spyware

A very good warning from another list. Something we should all be aware of.
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At first I thought that the crufty messages coming through were the 
usual attachments that people send, maybe using a free (sic) email 
service, but I just took a closer look, and it's much worse than 
that.  The 'incredimail' program used to create the messages is both 
advertising-ware and spyware.  It has hooks in it to advertise not 
just itself, but anything it chooses to.  And because the ads are not 
embedded in the message, but sent from the server each time you open 
the message, it can change those ads even after the message has been 
received.  The sender has no control over the content.  Today you see 
an innocuous ad for incredimail itself, next week or month you see--, 
well, use your imagination...

Worse, it's spyware.  It spys not just on the person who sends the 
message, but on everyone who receives the message and allows their 
mail program to interpret the html code.  It embeds a code for the 
sender, and of course every time it grabs images from the server, it 
keeps a record of everything any web server is able to keep a record 
of--your IP number (which if you have broadband, probably identifies 
you uniquely), the time, what browser you use...  But wait, there's 
more!  At no added charge, Incredimail sets cookies.  Depending on 
how they construct it, it can allow them or their cronies to track 
you across the net.  With so many easily visible 'features' like 
these, it wouldn't suprise me to find out that it's doing even more 
spying on anyone running the actual program.

This is a prime example of two important things:

*  Never ever let your email program interpret html or show you 
images.  Set it show plain text and only plain text.   If your email 
program won't give you this much control, find another.  No fancy 
email message is important enough to open yourself up to the range of 
malicious things that can be done to you these days.

*  Don't accept candy from strangers.  These days software, 
especially 'freeware', often has hidden strings.  Don't download the 
latest cool thing and use it without checking it out thoroughly 
first.  If you don't know how to check on it, find a friend, or a 
friend who has a friend, who knows how.  And keep your backups 
current, because for some of the spyware out there, the only way to 
get rid of it completely is to reinstall your OS and all applications 
from scratch.

GWL has searchable archives at: 
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters/
If you have photos for GWL, send them to gwlphotos@hort.net and they will show up at  http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos/ 
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