A Revolution is the Solution
Hey Paperghost,
Looks like a great idea -- any chance you might work a bit with the good folks at MalwareComplaints.org? They have quite an effort already underway, and it would be a shame for their info to go to waste.
Keep it up!
get you some jabber, son. Google chat runs on that.
Also, are you planning to set up a witness protection program for your informants?
Sounds like a plan problem is how long is it going to be before Some Smartarse Hijacks it and uses it against you ???
Yet another question: Is there any place for us non-Windows users? I have time and inclination with my FreeBSD box to help out, but I won't mess with MS.
Nexus7:
"Looks like a great idea -- any chance you might work a bit with the good folks at MalwareComplaints.info? They have quite an effort already underway, and it would be a shame for their info to go to waste."
I agree something can be done. PG is already registerd from when it started. If you like this idea PG. Just holler me on IM or any one you know from MWC. I think we certainly would like to help. If it fits in with the fourth wall.
If they need a rep. to stay in touch with joo. I am willing to be that man. Let me know and I will put it forward at MWC in the staff forum.
Andy
Thanks PG, been looking forward to this starting. Thanks for all you're doing to get these "advertising" and other slimmy rats put out of commision. Great project I look forward to assisting in.
Malwarecomplaints = As Andy has said, I'm all for getting involved over there so I'll see what's going on shortly.
"Also, are you planning to set up a witness protection program for your informants?"
Sadly, its all 100% anonymous. Shame, as I was looking forward to renaming everybody "BlastaBlingBitch the Second" and making them all live in the same trashcan. Bah.
"Is there any place for us non-Windows users? I have time and inclination with my FreeBSD box to help out, but I won't mess with MS."
Good question that man! I shall ponder this question and get back to you.
"Great project I look forward to assisting in."
Thanks Turtledove, feel free to add yourself to my IM thingy. I've already had quite a number of additions so that's a good start.
" Sounds like a plan problem is how long is it going to be before Some Smartarse Hijacks it and uses it against you ???"
Its no more a risk than if someone went and hacked a forum with all secret stuff in it - if you stick your head above the wall, you gotta expect the random potshots I suppose. Good job their random potshots suck!
Good point there PG thing with Milligansghost is he never learned to duck :-P
Oh thanks kaleidoscope eyes,Good luck PG ahould be interesting watching certain Well known AddScum Squirm 
Looks to me simply like a way to have your IM inbox spammed to eternity?
There is one very serious flaw in your reasoning.
Shadowserver, MIRT, etc. do not go after the adware vendors directly for the simple reason that the actions of these vermin, while morally reprehensible, are for the most part perfectly legal.
The majority of them even have a 'code of conduct' for affiliates which provides them with a number of excuses for not paying Jimmy leet hax and his friends while still collecting the ad revenue.
Naturally this also provides them with a legal mechanism by which they can deny any responsibility for the actions of their affiliates.
Ah yes. There is nothing quite like the unmistakable aroma of Plausible Deniability.
Actually, this isn't about trying to prove the "illegality" of the actions of adware vendors, for precisely the reason you mention (though there's plenty of Adware vendors out there who are perfectly happy to carry out what we would consider "illegal actions"). As we've seen on numerous occasions, an adware vendor can (and will) be punished for dubious practices, deceptive installs and difficult uninstallation routines - without any of the above actually being deemed "illegal". In other words, "morally reprehensible" can still cause them immense amounts of trouble.
The Fourth Wall is simply designed to offer a very real counterpoint to the waves of PR spin from Adware vendors - they cannot claim to have cleaned up their affiliate networks when there's a gigantic body of evidence sitting in the corner waiting to bite them.
Also - I disagree with your sentiment that the likes of Shadowserver don't go after Adware vendors because they know what they're doing is "legal".
They don't go after adware vendors because (with the greatest of respect to Shadowserver) they didn't have anyone on the team who understood the Adware space - what's "hot" and what's not. When they'd find a Botnet, they'd see a C&C center with random exes being pushed by various exploits - they wouldn't view it as "oh look, its brand x being pushed in a dubious fashion. I must write to the FTC immediately!")
They've since changed their lineup, but their original incarnation (which I was lucky enough to have access to for a time, along with their data and tracking methods) would simply focus on the botnet takedown and completely ignore the fact that someone like Zango was being pushed in a bundle - extremely notable news, but they had nobody on board to actually point this out. Though I believe they've changed some of the ways they operate, as far as I'm aware they still don't focus on the Adware stuff, because ultimately they're a Botnet takedown group and they don't really care what adware is being pushed - its merely a side issue.
MIRT don't go after screwball Adware affiliates and dubious business practices because of two things - one, resource and two, they are primarily concerned with Malware discovery and takedown. Adware vendors simply don't come into the picture because again, its not their primary focus.
Its the same with security forums - all those HJT logs with major adware vendors in, yet the people entrusted with the task of cleaning the computer out just gets on with removal.
I have to ask myself why even the forums dedicated to Adware and spyware issues aren't addressing the issue of major adware vendors in HJT logs - however you look at it, we've been letting major opportunities go begging and this is a way of clawing some of those back.
Agreed on that, PG. While I am convinced the moral argument means nothing to the adware heavies, they are sensitive to how such argument makes them look bad. Publicity is their whole point, and bad publicity on their heads means dollars not coming into their pockets. I'm all for a campaign to expose them.
"I have to ask myself why even the forums dedicated to Adware and spyware issues aren't addressing the issue of major adware vendors in HJT logs - however you look at it, we've been letting major opportunities go begging and this is a way of clawing some of those back."
HI PG (and all others, offcourse )
First, i want to congratulate you on a great initiative! Excellent! I will add you to my MSN-list asap.
Secondly, as a hijackthis-helper, i have to say that most forums, like you so truly said about MIRT, have another focus. Most of them just try to help a flood of victims wich simply want the control over their computer back.
However, since MWC has gone online, i do see a change on the internet ... more and more anti-malware helpers and -experts become aware that just helping the victims isn't the only thing that has to be done.
I definately hope that all these initiatives (The Fourth Wall, MIRT, PIRT, MWC etc.) will become very very close to eachother and to the anti-malware community and work together as a front against malware, the makers and the pushers alike!
Rgds,
Jan
We shall see what happens to the Adware pushers as this goes on the Effect should be very interesting as they notice a downturn in Installs
At Which time i expect to see Them go on the Attack,
Expect to get Sued PG LOL
Another arguement for Jabber, there are bsd and linux clients for it.
Good point Jabber derrill but its yet another bit of software clogging up your system ...
Not clogging up your computer; PGs computer 
Commenting by HaloScan
