The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC) is a group dedicated to building a consensus about definitions and best practices in the debate surrounding spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies.

Composed of anti-spyware software companies, academics, and consumer groups, the ASC seeks to bring together a diverse array of perspective on the problem of controlling spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies.

Contents 1 History 2 Members 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

Formed in 2005, The ASC filled the void left by the dissolution of the Consortium of Anti-Spyware Technology Vendors (COAST) which broke up over internal dissent.^[1] The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), a non-profit public policy organization, spearheaded the movement in April 2005 when Ari Schwartz called together the initial group of Anti-Spyware companies.

The group gathered momentum by adding more members and started to build consensus by authoring a series of documents within the coalition, and then soliciting feedback from the community at large. The first set of documents consisted of a definition of Spyware (and potentially unwanted technologies) and a vendor dispute resolution process. This was followed by a "Risk Model" that provides Anti-Spyware vendors with a framework for classifying software. Most recently, in March 2007 the ASC published their public final draft of their long awaited Best Practices document.

[edit] Members

As of March, 2007, the ASC members are:

• Aluria Software, an Earthlink company
• AhnLab Inc
• AOL
• Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School
• Bit9
• Blue Coat Systems
• Canadian Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email
• US Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email
• Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic
• Center for Democracy and Technology
• CNET Networks
• Computer Associates
• Dell, Inc.
• Eset
• F-Secure
• Google
• Grisoft
• HP
• ICSA Labs
• Internet Education Foundation
• ISS
• Lavasoft
• McAfee
• Mi5 Networks
• Microsoft
• National Center for Victims of Crime
• National Cyber Security Alliance
• National Network to End Domestic Violence
• Panda Software
• PC Tools
• Radialpoint
• Safer-Networking Ltd.
• Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at Boalt Hall
• UC Berkeley School of Law
• Sana Security
• Shavlik Technologies
• Sophos
• Spamhaus
• Sunbelt Software
• SurfControl
• Symantec
• Tenebril
• Trend Micro
• Webroot Software
• Websense
• Yahoo! Inc.

[edit] References

1. ^ Cowley, Stacy, "Coast antispyware consortium falls apart", IDG News Service, http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/02/08/HNcoastfallsapart_1.html February 8, 2005

[edit] External links

• The Anti-Spyware Coalition
• Anti-spyware guidelines get final version

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