[closed]Spy on your friends and family!

Am I supposed to click on it and invite it into my home?

I have nothing to do with the ads here, but first of all I don't see much wrong with that software, NickFun. You must have access to the computer you want to install it on, & it has legitimate uses similar to how peep-to-peer software has legitimate uses as does setting up a webcam in your bedroom (though clearly it wouldn't be very ethical if you didn't tell people about it...and the same goes for that software).

In fact, I'll recommend far superior & more powerful "spy" software than the one you listed: Spytech SpyAgent.
I've personally seen SpyAgent recommended in Maximum PC, PC World & on CNet (see their 5-star review for it here: www.download.com/3000-2094_4-10350473.html ).

Secondly, the ads here are not individually approved by A2K admins... they are served by companies that specialize in delivering ads (e.g. Google is one such company & A2K has worked with them & many others at varying times).

While A2K insists that no ads here generate popups or try to automatically install software on your machine, it is technically possible that such ads might slip under the radar, in which case they would be pulled when they are reported to or seen by A2K admins. So there's nothing wrong with reporting ads you suspect might be a problem, but IMO that's not the case here (though, again, that decision isn't my call).

The ad reads: "*SpyRecon Complete contains an additional feature
that allows you to discreetly install SpyRecon on any
computer even if its hundreds of miles away, meaning
it is possible monitor all activities without ever
needing physical access to the computer."

This seems a bit scary to me.

Just about all remote control software can "monitor" computers located anywhere on the Internet. Of course that software could be used maliciously, just as all remote control software (e.g. extremely widely used apps like VNC & RAdmin) & monitoring software (e.g. SpyAgent, AOL, MSN, & other parental control & "spy" software) can.

As for not needing physical access.... the software doesn't hack into computers. It works like most all commercial software...someone must install it on a computer for it to work. Their so-called special feature probably allows you to create a silent installer pre-configured to report requested items to you. That's pretty standard, & if you take a look at my SpyAgent link you'll see that can do it to. If you don't have access to the computer you want it to run on you could, for example, email it to someone on the other end & tell them (or trick them...such is the risk with software, the Internet & social engineering) to run it.

You may not like that such software exists, but many people rely on similar software for non-nefarious reasons (system admins, parents, etc.). Though that website is trying to promote their software as a "spying" tool, I don't think a site's choice of marketing gimmick should necessarily influence decisions.

Wow, learn something new every day. That info is disturbing.

Tricks & viruses via emails with attached executables are the reason many email clients including Outlook & Outlook Express by default no longer allow you to run attached applications.

Monger is right about the very vague line between a legitimate remote desktop application and a malicious backdoor.

I use VNC, for example, to control servers that are located remotely (in datacenters) and others may be familiar with PC Anywhere.

There is legitimate use for a remote desktop app.

The ad being quoted seems to be slightly worded toward middle ground, people who may want it for legitimate reasons or people who might want it for malicious reasons.

Either way, the software is probably (I don't have time to study it) not inherently malicious and is no magic key to other people's computers.

At worst it would be used as a payload, but using VNC, PC Anywhere, an FTP server or a host of other legitimate apps as a payload can be done for malicious purposes.

That being said, I do not appreciate the ad, and would remove it except that I do not yet have an easy way to do so (those ads do not yet have an exclusion interface) and I will ask the ad network that provides them to provide means to filter them out.

The ad network filters most things that are undesireable, and this particular one is only borderline, but it's the first one that has made me think of exclusions and I'll look into that.

In any case, thanks for the report.

I have a question about that? "VNC" why? can't you just work through the root commands or any I missing something? LOL I'm ignorant on some of this, when I had my server we just worked via the root.

You are confusing windows/linux, SSH or Telnet/"working through root" and a variety of other fundamental concepts like user names.

I use VNC to administer windows servers, I use SSH (which is what you are thinking of when you say "root" which is just a linux user-name") for linux boxes.

If you have other questions please start a thread on the computer forum (as they are not related to supporting Able2Know).

cool

i need it