macsweeper

Are you the same Apple Angel that downloaded this software by searching in Google?

And they just hired you as a developer? How strange...

Hello. Why exactly would these be part of 'BlackListed plists'? Your TODO list inside the MacSweeper package lists 'at.obdev.LittleSnitchNetworkMonitor.plist' for instance. As far as I know there is nothing wrong with LittleSnitch...

Application removal:
BlackListed plists are:
~/Library/Preferences
.GlobalPreferences.plist
AddressBookMe.plist
at.obdev.LittleSnitchNetworkMonitor.plist

This letter is laughable at best a total joke at worst. I don't even know where to begin:

1. Anyone that put "application cash", instead of the correct application cache on, on a letter to explain what a software does, is just plain suspect. No developer worth their salt that I know would make such a mistake.

2. Cookies in them self cannot install harmful software. At worst they can store some personal information and browsing trends. These can be easily blocked and easily removed.

3. Application caches also can be easily removed and with my 7 year experience with Mac OSX and some knowledge of development have never heard of application caches posing a security risk. They can be removed as part of troubleshooting an issue, but are recreated again when the app is run. Same with system caches.

4. Language files posed as security threats are something new to me too. Sure you can get rid of languages you don't use and CPU architectures too. That is where a great app like Xslimmer comes in.

5. There were several reports that the App in questions website "performs" a scan and alerts the user that he needs this software. How are you performing such a scan without installing a plugin or some sort of Admin access?

6. There were also reports that several of the links on the site simply cause the software to download.

When a "big name security company" lists your app as a threat, users take that seriously as these "big name companies" are usually experts in the field.

Go peddle your propaganda elsewhere, I don't think anyone is going to trust your app, with all these reports from legitimate sources and security experts looming around...

Hello MacSweeper is deeply discussed on: http://blog.iantivirus.com/2008/01/deeper-look-on-macsweeper.html

Sorry about my english grammar, normal version of our Letter you can read here: http://forum.macsweeper.com/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=da691314f42cece1c2127a8967baf8 02

In two words about LittleSnitch: My goal was to make something similar to AppZapper, but i wanted to find all "Trash" files even if Application was already removed. For this i needed to know where to search for all applications. Usually they are stored in standard locations. But in case with LittleSnitch, it is stored in /Library/Little Snitch, which is not good place for an application. I didn't want it to be marked as trash, so i added it into my TODO list.

" ... 1) What is MacSweeper and why would you need it?
MacOS is considered one of the most secure operating systems in the world ..."

then ? no need this software ...

and the way this software to advertise is really not good, how come can run automatically like that ? push the user to install regarding to read the product spec first ?

It is obvious rogue-ware and seemingly impossible to remove. Anyone know how to effectively remove this POS?

Mac community has taught us a lesson that we will never forget.
We worked hard to correct our mistakes, and we promise you will never see a "junk" software from our company anymore!
Meet new MacSweeper at http://macsweeper.com

As we promised we are giving away 1000 licenses of MacSweeper for free, even more!

Our activation algorithm is based on short user name. So the most easiest method to get it and to generate serial number for it is when you pressing purchase from the program.

We also considered our prices policy. You will be able to purchase MacSweeper for as low as 15$.

Thank You All for this lesson! I hope it will reflect the same way on other junk-ware that will try to harm our lovely mac platform and its users!

You can post your thoughts on our support forum
http://forum.macsweeper.com

Everybody should click on this guy's profile to see his posts. Very deceptive. If you use this guy's software, you have been warned. I can't see any reason to use it, and many reasons not to!

I described how to remove MacSweeper, on the previous post:

You just need to Move these files to Trash:
1) MacSweeeper.app (Check if MacSweeperDaemon is running)
2) ~/Library/Contextual\ Menu\ Items/MacSweeperCMI.plugin

3) ~/Library/Preferences/com.KIVViSoftware.MacSweeper.plist

Thats it!

I am acting like a bot because, I need to respond every post on all forums, I haven't slept for nights, I am trying to correct everything we have done! Thank You!

Apple Angel wrote:
I am acting like a bot because, I need to respond every post on all forums, I haven't slept for nights, I am trying to correct everything we have done! Thank You!

Oh so now it is Your software? Do you see why people are more then skeptical when you come on these forums trying to be deceptive? Here is a quote from one of your earlier messages about MacSweeper and you talk about "they":

Apple Angel wrote:
Yes, I used it. Its cleaning tool for Mac, it cleans Universal Binaries, Language files, and some other trash. It also found some strange cookies. I saved more then 5Gb of disk space with it. They promised to release some "Most Wanted" features soon, i hope they will be useful

Now instead of you saying "they" you are saying "We". So basically this was your software all along and you are being really deceptive. Deceptive to customers = something to hide.

Message was edited by: RacerX

Did i say something wrong? I tried to promote it a little. And it really saved me a lot of space on my MBP. 80 Gb is too small amount for a serious work.

Besides i was wondering what was really happening with the traffic(as we were buying it), and where it comes from:

//Check what is your home page, strange reaction, this cannot be happening on MacOS. Check your history, perhaps you'll find something interesting there?

or

//What site was that?

But Please people I need at least some feed back! Is it really so useless as you described or there are some positive features? Should i continue work on new features or should i burry it?
A hundred people already activated it, and total silence?

Apple Angel wrote:
Please people I need at least some feed back!

OK "Apple Angel", you want some feedback? Here it is:

*Go away and never trouble the Mac community again.*

Apple Angel wrote:
Should i continue work on new features or should i burry it?

*Bury it.* Your future is not in writing legitimate software for the Mac. Even if you ever had honest intentions with Macsweeper and even if you "adore the Mac platform" (as a scamming target perhaps) you have alienated the whole Mac community.

Nobody wants your software, nobody trusts you and you can never build trust when you have persistently lied and used unethical or illegal distribution tactics.

Apple Angel wrote:
A hundred people already activated it, and total silence?

Well, you seem quite happy with the results of your manic postings and link bombing:
"Google: 109,000 results for macsweeper. Not bad for Two people, in only one month! ?" (Comment on [blog.iantivirus.com)|http://blog.iantivirus.com/2008/01/deeper-look-on-macswee per.html#c7658549309823499435]
Of course 99% of those links lead to critical coverage of your product, security warnings and the like. The remaining 1% is you, flooding blogs and forums with lies, defence, justification, excuses and lots and lots of links. Perhaps you think all publicity is good publicity...? How sad.

Apple Angel wrote:
Is it really so useless as you described or there are some positive features?

To answer that we would have to be stupid enough to visit your website and install your software. I will not do that for the following reasons:

*1. I will never try your product because I do not trust you, your company or your software.*

2. I have no confidence in the quality, usefulness and security of your product and only a fool would willingly install it. Happily, I am not a fool.

3. I utterly distrust you, your company and your software because of the way you promote and spread it.

4. I have no confidence in your software because of the many nefarious, malicious and downright evil snake-oil pedlars that you share server space and distribution tactics with. A man may be judged by the company he keeps.

5. Nobody should trust a company that uses fake online scans (mere SWF animations) to panic and deceive visitors to their site into downloading a product of questionable quality, usefulness and security.

6. Your website uses unethical (and potentially illegal) tactics to force a visitor into activating a download, even when they expressly do not wish to accept a download. No legitimate business does this, therefore we know you and your company are a bunch of crooks and your software can never be trusted.

7. Your pop-up that forces the download reads "This file has been digitally signed and independently certified as 100% free of viruses, adware and spyware". That is either an utterly meaningless statement or a plain lie.

8. If you are happy to force the download of this product (which you claim to be benign), we have to assume you are also happy to force the download of Mac viruses and Trojans once you have worked out how to write them.

9. Your software is, at best incompetent and unnecessary (better products exist to do the job) and at worst extremely dangerous, especially considering what future updates might do. [blog.iantivirus.com/2008/01/deeper-look-on-macsweeper.html]

10. I would not want MacSweeper even if you gave it away for free.
What's that? Oh, you are giving it away free... 1000 licences, you say?

Well you know what...

I still don't want it.








But anyway, what is the point of polite discourse when you are, to my mind, criminals posing as a pair of hapless students...?

It is my considered opinion that you are practicing your art, refining your techniques and testing the water for a more serious attack on the mac community using similar tactics and much more dangerous software. *Let all Mac users beware.*