180SearchAssistant Information & 180SearchAssistant Links at HealthHaven.com

180SearchAssistant is an adware program that displays pop-ups based on a user's browsing habits.

It has been claimed the product presents ads under some circumstances and that it contacts its maker's site without user permission, leading to it being classified as spyware by some third parties.

The 180SearchAssistant now more often comes under the name Zango. Zango was normally bound to the not-as-effective spyware in the 180-family, called 180 Solutions. Like much spyware of this type, Zango claims to be nothing more than a tool for helping one search the Internet.

According to the manufacturer, 180search Assistant is no longer distributed. However, it is distributed with Limewire

[edit] Misleading Pop-up

If removed by some types of anti-spyware programs, a window opens saying that a third-party application has removed Zango Search Assistant, probably without one's knowledge of doing so, and that computer settings can be critically damaged unless Zango gets reinstalled. One will have 3 buttons below that text. The first option saying to reinstall Zango, the second to delete remaining files and the third saying to remind the user later. This is the flip button trick, where all the buttons do the same thing (in this case reinstall Zango). The right thing to do in that case is instead to temporarily disable the internet connection, and then click the x in the upper right corner. It is recommended that any user who encounters this popup runs a reputable anti-spyware program, such as Spybot-Search & Destroy.

[edit] Lawsuit

In late 2005, 180SearchAssistant filed a lawsuit against ZoneLabs. The lawsuit claimed that Zonelabs' product ZoneAlarm mislabeled the product as adware, stating that claims that 180SearchAssistant is a keylogger are false. The suit was later dropped by Zango.

[edit] See also

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