Whatever happened to SpyNet?

I wrote this back in February, shortly after the first beta of Microsoft AntiSpyware was released:

There’s always going to be suspicion when a single company is making go/no-go decisions on whether a program should be considered a threat or benign. That’s why I like the community-based approach introduced by GIANT AntiSpyware (the original developer of the antispyware product that Microsoft purchased). Microsoft has committed to keeping the SpyNet community as a key part of the final release.

I would like to see as much transparency as possible from all security vendors, especially when you’re talking about products that are legal but unethical. The products in this category aren’t viruses, pushed into the world by anonymous vandals. These are typically commercial products, released by identified companies. The bar to removal should be high (although the user should be able to make the level of protection more stringent). One thing I like about Microsoft AntiSpyware is that it is first and foremost a preventive measure. It alerts you when a program is trying to sneak an auto-starting module into the Registry or change your home page, and it gives you the power to stop damage before it can occur. The real problem with spyware comes when it sneaks onto a computer. Anything that Microsoft can do to prevent Windows from being misused in this fashion is a Good Thing.

Whatever happened to the SpyNet community? And can you call something a “community” when people don’t have a way to communicate with other members of the community?

Hey, Scoble, maybe you should start bringing in some guest interviewers for your Channel 9 interviews? I’d love to ask some questions of the AntiSpyware team with your cameras rolling. Don’t you think customers would enjoy that?