CyberDefender and it’s adverts!
May 10th, 2007 by AndyAtHullNot long ago we reported that a program named CyberDefender came with adverts in it’s paid version. Steven Burns from Ur I.T. Mate Group was the first to report this.
Steven also captured a video about this using a licensed CyberDefender (it’s a paid version provided by CyberDefender for testing). With Steven’s permission you can view the video below;
Direct link to the Video —>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VwygRK9y-4
As you can see, adverts clearly appear. Which in affect isn’t a big issue aslong as this is clearly stated for current & potential new customers of this program. If it isn’t, then I’m afraid better practices need to be carried out to ensure the safety of potential new customers.
First safety, then the money!
Why not join us about this and debate it in our forum.
Coverage: Digg.com
Filed under General, Product Reviews, Security Related | 16 Comments »
May 10th, 2007 at 17:27
EarlyDetection Center is offers protection for Spyware, Viruses, Phishing Attacks, earlySPAM detection and earlyMONITOR protectioin to make sure that all updates needed are run. When you install this app – no advertisements appear in the product on the desktop or anywhere else on your computer. The product is clearly advertised for ONLY the functions above.
As some security companies also have developed their own backup solutions it is not uncommon for those companies to have links within their own products to allow you to add additional programs of value to your system.
This is what CyberDefender is doing here. The company has yet to develop its own back up solution, it also is not nearly able to offer the type of benefits for complete identity protection as offered by its partners both for ID Protection and credit monitoring. So if you are interested in those features which go way beyond what is offered for 11.99 – than their are links to click on that take you to partners that provide those offers. Nothing is offered to you without clicking on links that go way beyond what the product is advertised to do.
In offering additional solutions in the future, we are evaluating how to include many of thises options in an all inclusive package that would certainly sell for more than 11.99. For the time being we wanted to work with our users to alert them that other tools should be a part of thier security arsenal. None of us thought that LINKS to additional options could be interepreted as advertisements.
Our ad supported product has ad banners which appear only while the product is running within the program. We have made a clear deliniation between the two. We are sorry if you think that LINKS to upgrade options is advertisement but we chose to suggest companies that we believe in for options that we beleive improve your security. You only learn of these partners if you click on links that are for OPTIONS other than what the product is purchased for. No Banners are ever seen in this product.
May 10th, 2007 at 17:29
Well if you buy say a Top rated Thriller on DVD you dont expect to get Adds right in the middle of the Action do you?
Sorry Guys but if i pay for the software why should i get adds as well?
May 10th, 2007 at 18:22
So how much are you getting from these ‘options’ IF someone purchases?
I mean, we already paid once to get your prog, are you trying to make users buy more and line your pockets at the same time?
Or are the ‘options’ also software developed/partnered/owned by you or your subsidaries (sp) ?
Just curious as to WHY you find those certain ‘options’ the best ones to promote.
May 10th, 2007 at 19:05
ever tried to start a DVD without 20 previews – how much do you pay for DVD’s
May 10th, 2007 at 19:48
Sammi,
Actually the best example I can think of for you is like with financial software for example (Intuit or Money).
Those companies will also have links to: order checks, link with your bank, sign up for saving accounts or broker partnershhips all options above what you initially pay for but with links enabling you the opportunity to connect within the software. However you still get what you pay for which is great software that manages your money.
However – you don’t get the checks for free, you don’t usually get free money in the account either savings or stock acct you connect to and if you wish to get online banking info downloaded into your software – they don’t usually pay your bank your online banking fee’s. You may however even get a better deal on those options if the company negotiated one for you.
May 10th, 2007 at 20:14
just_a_geek i understand your Point but DVDS Dont put the Adds right in the middle ofthe movie do they? i think this is Unfair practice and should stop
May 10th, 2007 at 21:05
In Reply To CyberDefender:
Quote:
‘You may however even get a better deal on those options if the company negotiated one for you.’
Are you implying that this is what YOU are doing? If so, I ask again, are you making a profit from your ‘negotiations’? And if that is the case, why do you feel the need to make MORE money from your paid customers?
If you were making no profit from those negotiations, would you still (I use the term loosely) ‘advertise’ the product you think would benefit you customer the best?
Have you checked ALL these companies PERSONALLY to make sure they are not any sort of ‘threat’ to those customers? Or even if they themselves do not advertise any thing ‘nasty’ after they have been purchased?
Customers have purchased your software in Good Faith, I am sure they would think you would take that as a great honour, and would NOT deliberately, or even accidentally, expose them to any malicious advertising.
Maybe having the adverts on your main website would be better practice? Then you could dispel them from your software as I am sure they would get more ‘hits’ on a mainstream website than a piece of software that not every visitor will purchase. After all, they must have an interest in the kind of things you are advertising or they would not be on your website in the first place!
PS. On a side note, there ARE bank accounts that tempt you with the offer of free money for opening an account here in the UK!
May 10th, 2007 at 22:33
Quote:Actually the best example I can think of for you is like with financial software for example (Intuit or Money).
Those companies will also have links to: order checks, link with your bank, sign up for saving accounts or broker partnershhips all options above what you initially pay for but with links enabling you the opportunity to connect within the software. However you still get what you pay for which is great software that manages your money.
The above mentioned program “Money” as in Microsoft Money? That is the only financial program I am aware of with that name and I’m reasonably sure MS has a copyright on the name “Money” when it’s used in connection with financial software.
NO Alan there are NO advertisements in Money.
Your clear distinction between adsupported and adware exists in your mind only. For the rest of us they are one and the same. Ads are ads a rose is a rose….get it?
You stated at CastleCops that only your free version had ads.
The version reviewed and now hosted on YouTube is the paid version you claim has no advertising. It clearly contains ads. How are ads to Credit Management remotely related to upgrading your product?
How is a P2P style updating system going to keep my financial information secure? Those of us in the security community warn against any P2P activity because of the dangers.
Yet you use this sort of system to “cut costs”. How will this be beneficial to me? No thanks I don’t want to be sharing files with the script kiddie down the block or the malware infested machines out there.
May 11th, 2007 at 01:36
@CyberDefender (guessing this is Alan?)
You’ve kinda missed the point here.
Your PAID version is supposed to come WITHOUT adverts. Clearly this is not the case as the video shows, and the previous report shows.
By including adverts in the paid version, you are mis-representing the point of paying, and effectively, scamming your users.
May 11th, 2007 at 17:04
Sorry CyberDefender But as long as you continue to Package adds with Paid for software people will continue to think you are Scamming them,
If you remove the Adds from the Pay to use version that would be the best idea
December 10th, 2008 at 16:06
CyberDefender is overly opportunistic here. If it’s legal, it doesn’t mean it’s best.
Too many fraudulent anti-spyware programs out there for us to trust anyone that is borderline.
January 5th, 2009 at 00:05
I downloaded your “FREE” virus protection and found it is anything but “FREE”.
I want to remove the initial download which I have not activated but it does not show in my “Remove Program” list. What name is it placed under?
January 6th, 2009 at 18:00
Hi pat corona,
You are best asking this in our forum. You won’t get a response from CyberDefender.
It could be possible its under something totally different. Our helpers can guide you with this in removing this program.
Andy
February 3rd, 2009 at 04:07
Now, I thought this was a little strange, cuz I installed Cyberdefender Free about 4 months ago. Yes, it had some adverts, like several other ‘free’ versions, but most were pushing to upgrade to the paid version.
The free version is really a scanner, but it does remove spyware and trojans – which is what I was using it for. About 2 months ago, I got hit with the Virtumondo virus which is quite wicked. Cyberdefender caught it, but I had to pay to upgrade and remove it – no problem since I am willing to buy software that works (other anti-virus programs do this as well).
The paid version that I got did not have any ads in it!!
I think that maybe Cyberdefender may have had ads 2 years ago when you looked at it, but as of now it does not have ads. Especially like what is in the Youtube video.
In the 2 months that I have been using the paid version of CD, I have been happy with it.
March 25th, 2009 at 00:24
We purchased CD in December after getting a nasty virus, which required us to replace our hard drive & memory chips. CD does NOT catch viruses. The only thing it ever alerts to is Cookies.
April 7th, 2009 at 13:02
I didn’t even get as far as paying for it. I downloaded the free version and it just jammed everything up, forcing its way into everything I did. I was to the point where I’d have paid for a program to defend me against Cyberdefender.
The only marketer I’ve ever encountered as aggressive as Cyberdefender was a whore in Detroit.