Free Software - what can the cost really be?

I was nosing around looking for something that hasn't been exposed to death and I found this report on the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) - watch out for the "fine print".

By now you’ve heard all about computer viruses, Trojan horses, worms, identity theft, and phishing scams, and you’re taking the necessary steps to secure your computer and privacy when using the internet. One boring little item, however, can undo your good work—if you’re not careful.

That item is the end user license agreement (EULA) covering the software you use. These agreements themselves can’t harm you or your computer. In fact, EULAs can do just the opposite: they highlight things that can put you at risk. The harm comes from ignoring EULAs—and the subtle warnings they might contain—by blindly agreeing to their terms:

• Ignoring EULAs can expose your computer to security risks.
• Ignoring EULAs can put your privacy at risk.

For instance, a EULA might require you to allow the software publisher or a third party to collect information about your internet activity in exchange for use of the software.

This information could include not only the web sites you visit, but also information you supply in online transactions such as your name, address, credit card number, and items purchased. Once collected, the security of this information is out of your control (a fact highlighted by the number of recent, high-profile database attacks).

As this report reflects, make sure you are confident and trust the company that the software comes from before downloading and installing.

Safe Surfing,

Darrell Mishler

M & D Creative Concepts LLC

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