At FTC's behest, court shuts down malware operation
Based on complaints filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. District Court has ordered spyware distributor ERG Ventures, LLC to shut down its particularly harmful Media Motor spyware program.
The FTC is not giving up, and will, with the support of Microsoft, seek the court to order the defendants to make restitution.
Media Motor sounds especially pernicious. According to the FTC website, malware ilstalled by the Media Motor program:
- Changes consumers’ home pages;
- Adds difficult-to-remove toolbars that display disruptive pop-up ads to consumers’ Internet browsers;
- Tracks consumers’ Internet activity;
- Generates disruptive and occasionally sexually explicit pop-up ads;
- Adds advertising icons to consumers’ Windows desktop;
- Alters browser settings;
- Degrades computer performance; and
- Attacks and disables consumers’ anti-spyware and anti-virus software.
Yuck. Few online experiences make me feel as helpless as when you think your anti-malware utility has removed this crap, and it keeps coming back. It has happened to me, and I'm betting, to you as well.
Additionally, the FTC maintains, programs installed by this malware are often impossible or at least extremely difficult to remove.
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