Google Earth Spybot?

[djavaman]

I recently downloaded Google Earth (GE) on my wife's laptop so that I could have it on our trip. As soon as the download finished the anti-spyware program told me that GE contained a spybot called "Cain". Cain, appearently, records keystrokes and mouse use. The anti-spyware program offered the option of removing Cain--but when I did that the layers features did not work.
I mention this for two reasons: I thought everyone should know; and I was wondering if anyone knows anything about this from a tech standpoint.
Any insight would be appreciated.

[D(J]avaman
a.k.a. Rick

 

[David Metsky]

There's nothing online about it that I can find. If there was a problem I'm sure it would be mentioned all over the place, considering how popular Google:Earth has become. I suspect either your anti-spyware is confused (mine had no problems with GE) or there's something else on your machine at the same time.

-dave-

 

[AntlerPeak]

I scanned it with my anti-v program and it did not find anything. Thanks for the heads up though

 

[king tut]

I would say that you are completely safe from viruses, etc.,, but i would imagine that google earth has cookies, so that the people behind the product can see where you have been and what you have been looking at. It also wouldn't surprise me if somehow "big brother" is able to spy on the users, considering the maps are very detailed and in this age of terrorism, it is a little bit of a security threat to have public transportation, large buildings, etc., available to be seen from any point in the world. So, that spybot is probably just something to track what you have looked at.

 

[DougPaul]

I would say that you are completely safe from viruses, etc.,, but i would imagine that google earth has cookies, so that the people behind the product can see where you have been and what you have been looking at.

Uhh, no computer program that is distributed as an exe file is completely safe from pathogens. (Even reputable companies can have disgruntled employees. Or someone could have hacked the website to install a pathogenized version. Google has also annouced that they will examine the contents of Google mail accounts.) The safest form of distribution is source code that you compile and install yourself. And in theory, you should examine the code before you compile and install.

Also most pathogen checkers just look for data patterns in the files. They can get false positives (identify a safe program as containing a pathogen) and false negatives (miss pathogens). And one cannot count on any checker knowing about all pathogens. (General advice is to use 2 or more unrelated checkers.)

You can reduce your computer risk, but the only way to eliminate it is not to use computers at all.

Doug
who has done some computer security work

 

[king tut]

Sorry, bad choice of word. not completely safe, mostly safe. You are never 100% safe on the web, but i wouldn't lose sleep at night downloading anything from google. But don't take my word, i am only someone who knows a little bit about computer science, i did not get a degree in it like some others that frequent this site, so please take my thoughts w/ a grain of salt.

 

[DougPaul]

Sorry, bad choice of word. not completely safe, mostly safe.

Agreed--Google is probably fairly safe, as they go. But read the user agreement _very_ carefully.

Doug

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Also, in the case of Spyware, there are judgement calls. What one company calls spyware, another one may not. When does a cookie become more than a cookie? Microsoft has been 'bullied' (lawsuit threat) out of including one company's stuff in their spyware list.

The Anti_Spyware Coalition has recently released a public cmoment document

http://www.antispywarecoalition.org/

Other interesting stuff here (geeks only)

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=4821