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Adware Adds Up To Cash
David Utter
Staff Writer
2005-04-22
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
Webroot VP for Threat Research Richard Stiennon looked into adware profitability. He found billions of reasons why adware isn't going away.
According to IT Manager's Journal, Mr. Stiennon and Webroot gathered info from nearly a million and a half machines. Expecting to find a potential market in the $100 million USD range for adware, he discovered instead a much larger number: potential annual profits of $2.4 billion USD.
"I was completely floored. I had no idea, when I calculated, how big the entire market was," said Mr. Stiennon.
Cool Web Search figured prominently in Mr. Stiennon's research. "Half of all machines on the Internet are infected with Cool Web Search." Other adware makers that comprise the most profitable include the notorious Claria (Gator/GAIN), 180search Assistant, BlazeFind, ISTbar/AUpdate, Transponder (vx2), and Internet Optimizer.
Have you scanned your machine for adware today?
About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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