Spyware takes new twist

It looks like a new, subtler form of spyware is emerging in the form of apparently legitimate applications which have the spyware function deeply embedded within the program. Such products have always existed but usually as "enhanced" real products such as KaZaa, rather than as custom built applications designed specifically to be used as spyware. This concern was generated when it was discovered that a popular free internet accelerator called Marketscore appeared to have the capacity to intercept and crack secure SSL traffic channeled through its servers.  Indeed, Marketscore works like legitimate commercial accelerator services such as Propel by channeling traffic through an intermediate proxy server operated by the company. The problem is that it uses its own trusted certificate to intercept and decrypt SSL traffic before re-encrypting it and passing it through to the destination server. In the process, all sensitive user information is accessible to Marketscore and the user would be totally unaware of the exposure. Caveat emptor. http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/1130univestrug.html

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