Sony's antipiracy may end up on antivirus hit lists; Sophos calls it "ineptware"
Sony's use of a rootkit, a technique usually employed by hackers and virus writers, in its digital rights management (DRM) software is causing problems for antivirus and security companies, which are considering how to respond. Kapersky Labs has classified Sony’s DRM software as spyware because it can cause crashes and data loss and comprise system integrity, while, Sophos is calling it "ineptware," due to the lack of malicious intent on Sony’s part. Sophos plans to add detection of non-malicious rootkits to their next product release, to help detect these hidden files and give administrators more control over the PC environment, and Kapersky is considering the same. Both companies hope the use of rootkits does not become a trend. "We'd hate to see the use of rootkits becoming a habit among mainstream software manufacturers when there are so many security and ethical arguments against such use," David Emm, a senior technology consultant at Kaspersky Lab, said.
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