• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, January 4, 2005

As the word "adware" became part of the public lexicon last year, so too did the problems posed by that type of software, according to McAfee, an Internet security company. McAfee, which sells anti-virus software, this week named adware by 180solutions and Gator (the former name of adware company Claria Corp.) as two of the top 10 threats of 2004.

Neither 180solutions, Gator, or any other adware program was in McAfee's 2003 list, said McAfee researcher Craig Schmugar. But, these days, "the vast majority of computers on the Internet have some problems with adware or spyware," he said. Other security threats identified by McAfee include viruses and some types of spam.

Unlike some more notorious online problems--such as phishing scams, which try to steal users' identities, or viruses that can erase hard drives or otherwise wreak havoc--adware is legal. And, for users, the consequences of installing adware are usually less dramatic than for other online annoyances; the usual complaints are that adware slows down users' systems, said Schmugar.

McAfee compiled its list based on a variety of sources including programs intercepted online, samples people submitted to the company for analysis, and "honeypots"--programs that act as traps to weed out viruses or attempts to take over computers. While Gator and 180solutions were the only adware programs to make McAfee's top 10 list, they were not the only adware threats, said Schmugar.

Todd Sawicki, 180solutions senior marketing director, criticized McAfee's methodology. "The inherent problem with these announcements is that there is no criteria, no justification for the list," Sawicki said in an e-mailed statement. "Dealing with real security threats is an important issue, and therefore we very much support efforts on a technological and legislative level to deal with those threats."

While McAfee found that most people with adware on their computers downloaded the programs themselves, the company said it uncovered some instances where adware companies exploited holes in people's browsers to install the programs without their knowledge.

Claria spokesman Scott Eagle said that Claria Corp. does not install any ad-serving software without a user's permission, and that the company has safeguards in place to make sure that software is not surreptitiously installed. A spokesman for 180solutions also said the company's policy is to install software only to users who have consented.