McAfee
Response from Siobhan MacDermott, vice president for worldwide corporate and executive communications for McAfee, which makes antivirus and antispyware software (here's our review of McAfee VirusScan Plus 2007). VirusScan Plus includes spyware protection and a personal firewall.
Have you ever had any discussions with any government agency, not counting conversations related to a lawful court order signed by a judge, about not detecting spyware or keystroke loggers installed by a police or intelligence agency?
MacDermott: It is McAfee policy to not comment on our conversations with law enforcement.
Is it your policy to alert the user to the presence of any spyware or keystroke logger, even if it is installed by a police or intelligence agency in the absence of a lawful court order signed by a judge?
MacDermott: Yes. McAfee alerts the user to the presence of any spyware or keystroke logger it detects, regardless of who installed it.
Have you ever received such a court order signed by a judge requiring you to cooperate with law enforcement authorities in terms of not detecting government-installed spyware or delivering government spyware to your users?
MacDermott: Sorry, but I will have to refer to my previous response for this one. "It is McAfee policy to not comment on our conversations with law enforcement."
Microsoft
Response from a representative of Microsoft at the company's outside public relations firm, who asked to be identified as a company spokesperson. Microsoft makes Windows Defender, which offers free spyware protection. It also makes operating system patches available through its Windows Update site for Internet Explorer users.
Has Microsoft ever had any discussions with any government agency about not detecting spyware or keystroke loggers installed by a police or intelligence agency?
Is it Microsoft's policy to alert the user to the presence of any spyware or keystroke logger, even if it is installed by a police or intelligence agency?
Spokesperson: Microsoft's antispyware tools and products are designed to alert customers to any spyware that these tools detect. The company only modifies these tools to improve their ability to detect spyware.
Is Microsoft able to answer more directly whether its spyware/key logger detection tools are ever turned off per the government/law enforcement's request, or whether it has ever had discussions with government agencies about not detecting spyware/key loggers they install?
Spokesperson: Microsoft does not turn off Windows Defender's ability to detect any spyware or other potentially unwanted software, including keyloggers, at the request of government entities.
We were hoping to push our luck and see if you would give a yes-or-no answer to these two narrower questions:
Has Microsoft ever had any discussions with any government agency, not counting conversations related to a lawful court order signed by a judge, about not detecting spyware or keystroke loggers installed by a police or intelligence agency?
Is it Microsoft's policy to alert the user to the presence of any spyware or keystroke logger, even if it is installed by a police or intelligence agency in the absence of a lawful court order signed by a judge?
Spokesperson: We heard back from the appropriate parties at Microsoft and got some additional clarification. They let us know that it is Microsoft's policy to provide visibility and notification to an individual about what is running on their computer including any spyware or keystroke logger -- how it got there is not a factor.
Have you ever received such a court order signed by a judge requiring you to cooperate with law enforcement authorities in terms of not detecting government-installed spyware or delivering government spyware to your users?
Spokesperson: Microsoft frequently has confidential conversations with both customers and government agencies and does not comment on those conversations. This should not be construed to imply these conversations have occurred, but instead taken as an indication that Microsoft does not comment on conversations, on any topic, that we have had with our customers or government agencies in confidence -- to do so would violate the trust and confidence customers and governments agencies around the world place in us.
Sana Security
Response from California-based Sana Security Chief Technology Officer Vlad Gorelik. Sana's products include Primary Response SafeConnect, Primary Response MemoryShield Server, and a utility that aims to improve Wi-Fi security.
Has Sana ever had any discussions with any government agency about not detecting spyware or keystroke loggers installed by a police or intelligence agency?
Gorelik: No. Our product detects potentially malicious software based on its behaviours. We are not looking at whether the purpose of the software is legitimate or not but rather whether it is potentially compromising the usage of the computer or users data. We adhere to industry standard definitions on legitimate information access such as the "Anti-Spyware Coalition" which define expected policy on software and information access on the computer.
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I may well be completely wrong here but it is my sincere feeling/position that while the Internet was apparently first concieved in the US,that doesn't give the US government any right to claim ownership.Nor any other government either..I abhor the arrogance and self-centredness of the US laying claim to anything and everything with their "Our way or the highway" attitudes.The Internet is there for everyone to use that pays for the service and we ought to be able to go where we wish,do what we wish with confidence and the protections we pay for from on-line security firms.I've never visited any of the available porn sites and don't intend to,never done any gambling or anything else that I feel is distasteful,including the thousands of chatrooms.Being nearly 70 and having had a computer since 1981 before there was an Internet,it is ghastly to me that any "government" could/would have/seize the right to SPY on any of my activities.To me,most all of the problems throughout the world today,including the Internet are all laying at the feet of the disgusting US Administration.If they would stick to their own shores,mind their own damned business,we would not BE in the terrible situations we're in today..