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Re: FW: OT Warning: 'Incredimail' = spyware

Ron -
Thanks for the warning. A quick search in Google results in 55,600 sites
with Incredimail! It's everywhere, in many different languages.
Do you know if it effects Mac based systems? I've dodged lots of bullets by
having a Mac.
-- 
Larry Maupin
Maupin Photography
larrymaupin@sbcglobal.net
214/341-3933

> From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
> Reply-To: Gardenwriters@topica.com
> Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 19:18:54 -0800
> To: GWL <Gardenwriters@topica.com>
> Subject: [GWL]: FW: OT Warning:  'Incredimail' = spyware
> 
> A very good warning from another list. Something we should all be aware of.
> -----------
> 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/
> **************************************************
> 
> 

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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