The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC) has concluded its landmark "best practices" for the anti-spyware community. The document offers a critical tool to customers and software developers.
ASC published a draft version of the best practices document for comment at the end of January.
The version issued now reveals numerous refinements made after the comment period ended on Feb. 26. ASC also today released the finalized version of its Conflict Identification and Resolution Process, which establishes a routine methodology for resolving software conflicts between anti-spyware tools. Both documents are available here http://www.antispywarecoalition.org/documents/.
"Best Practices: Guidelines to Consider in the Evaluation of Potentially Unwanted Technologies" details the process by which anti-spyware companies review software applications identifying behaviors which raise red flags as well as behaviors that help to mitigate concerns by providing real value to users. It relies heavily on the ASC's own spyware "definitions" document and its Risk-Model Description, which helped to establish a common understanding of spyware and how it is classified.
The "Conflict Identification and Resolution Process" highlights possible ways in which anti-spyware tools may conflict with one another and offers clear steps to resolve those conflicts. In addition to allowing for better, more structured interactions between developers, the resolution process will also provide a level of transparency to consumers who may be affected by such conflicts.
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.
