Comments on: From spam king to spymaster?

Sanford Wallace is the target of the FTC's aggressive new strategy to fight spyware on the Internet.

[unixrules]

Don't like spyware? Here's a clue

Don't use IE. Duh.

[Fray9]

And

And if you dont like viruses, daily reboots, manual defragmenting, system lock-ups or slow performance then dont use Windows.

But thats a little off topic.

Your right, the only thing IE has to offer that no other browser has is ActiveX. Ive never found a website other than Windows Update that uses it. As near as I can tell the only people who love ActiveX are malware writers. ActiveX security reminds me so much of swiss cheese.. strange.

[TimeBomb]

And one for you...

Drive-by downloads aren't the ONLY way for spyware to get on your system, Sparky.

Duh.

[Methuss]

Spammer didn't break law? Not

720 ILCS 16/D3
Sec. 16D-3. Computer Tampering.

(a) A person commits the offense of computer tampering when he knowingly and without the authorization of a computer's owner, as defined in Section 15-2 of this Code, or in excess of the authority granted to him:

(1) Accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or any part thereof, or a program or data;

(2) Accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or any part thereof, or a program or data, and obtains data or services;

(3) Accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or any part thereof, or a program or data, and damages or destroys the computer or alters, deletes or removes a computer program or data;

(4) Inserts or attempts to insert a "program" into a computer or computer program knowing or having reason to believe that such "program" contains information or commands that will or may damage or destroy that computer, or any other computer subsequently accessing or being accessed by that computer, or that will or may alter, delete or remove a computer program or data from that computer, or any other computer program or data in a computer subsequently accessing or being accessed by that computer, or that will or may cause loss to the users of that computer or the users of a computer which accesses or which is accessed by such "program";

(5) Falsifies or forges electronic mail transmission information or other routing information in any manner in connection with the transmission of unsolicited bulk electronic mail through or into the computer network of an electronic mail service provider or its subscribers;

So, yes, he did break the law, and installing any program to a computer located in the State of Illinois without the owner's consent or knowledge is a Class 4 FELONY ont he 1st offence, and a Class 3 FELONY for any offense after the first.

[Michael Grogan]

If you have the tools...

Since Illinois already has the tools to prosecute spammers and spyware purveyors; why don't they use them?