Maxim Weinstein is the executive director of StopBadware, a non-profit organization, based in Cambridge, Mass., that works with partners and individuals to fight computer viruses, spyware and other badware. We asked Maxim to discuss ways that people can fight malicious software and raise awareness of its impact.
Badware is software that fundamentally disregards your choice about how your computer or network connection will be used. Whether it comes in the form of a malicious password stealer, a fake anti-virus program or a program that "forgets"... to tell you it's installing an extra toolbar in your browser, badware is an abuse of the trust that all of us place in computing devices and the Internet.
At StopBadware, we believe that people and organizations working together can create the attitudes, behaviors, and policies necessary to regain control of our computers from the purveyors of badware. It's time that we, the Internet community, take a stand and say, "Enough! It's time to fight back!"
But how do we fight back against badware? We need to take the following steps:
To help us achieve the first step and get a jump on the next two, we have launched StopBadware Stories, a project to collect and share stories about the effects of badware on real people.
We're asking you to answer, through text, images and/or video, one simple question: How has badware affected your life? Some stories may be funny, others might be deeply moving, and still others may leave us scratching our heads. Collectively, these stories will send the clear message that badware is not just a technology issue, but also a real human problem that requires society's attention.
Of course, all these stories won't do any good just sitting in a database on our server. To be effective, the stories need to be shared. This is why StopBadware Stories will allow the public to vote on, comment on, and share through Facebook and other social networks their favorite—or least favorite—stories. (To share a story via Facebook, just click the blue-and-white "F" icon underneath "Share this story" on the StopBadware Stories site.) It is also why we are asking people who submit stories to agree to a Creative Commons license that allows anyone to reuse, redistribute or remix those stories for non-commercial use, as long as the author is credited.
StopBadware Stories is an exciting project, but we can't do it alone. We hope that you will participate, whether by telling your own story, sharing the stories of others or simply spreading the word about the project. If you'd like to learn about other ways that you can become involved in the fight against badware, see StopBadware's Get Involved page. You can also like StopBadware on Facebook for further updates.
Maxim dreams of a day when organizations like StopBadware are no longer needed.
See MoreBadware is software that fundamentally disregards your choice about how your computer or network connection will be used. Whether it comes in the form of a malicious password stealer, a fake anti-virus program or a program that "forgets"... to tell you it's installing an extra toolbar in your browser, badware is an abuse of the trust that all of us place in computing devices and the Internet.
At StopBadware, we believe that people and organizations working together can create the attitudes, behaviors, and policies necessary to regain control of our computers from the purveyors of badware. It's time that we, the Internet community, take a stand and say, "Enough! It's time to fight back!"
But how do we fight back against badware? We need to take the following steps:
- Help people understand just how serious the threat really is and how big a role individuals can play in minimizing that threat.
- Arm people with the knowledge they need to protect themselves, their computers, and their websites from becoming part of the problem.
- Cultivate a community of people working together to define and advocate for those new attitudes, behaviors and policies that, collectively, will keep badware at bay.
To help us achieve the first step and get a jump on the next two, we have launched StopBadware Stories, a project to collect and share stories about the effects of badware on real people.
We're asking you to answer, through text, images and/or video, one simple question: How has badware affected your life? Some stories may be funny, others might be deeply moving, and still others may leave us scratching our heads. Collectively, these stories will send the clear message that badware is not just a technology issue, but also a real human problem that requires society's attention.
Of course, all these stories won't do any good just sitting in a database on our server. To be effective, the stories need to be shared. This is why StopBadware Stories will allow the public to vote on, comment on, and share through Facebook and other social networks their favorite—or least favorite—stories. (To share a story via Facebook, just click the blue-and-white "F" icon underneath "Share this story" on the StopBadware Stories site.) It is also why we are asking people who submit stories to agree to a Creative Commons license that allows anyone to reuse, redistribute or remix those stories for non-commercial use, as long as the author is credited.
StopBadware Stories is an exciting project, but we can't do it alone. We hope that you will participate, whether by telling your own story, sharing the stories of others or simply spreading the word about the project. If you'd like to learn about other ways that you can become involved in the fight against badware, see StopBadware's Get Involved page. You can also like StopBadware on Facebook for further updates.
Maxim dreams of a day when organizations like StopBadware are no longer needed.
