Remote Spy Software Blog

So, I just saw this article posted last week by Benjamin Googins over at Computer Associates’ Security Advisor Blog.  He posted the article before the Court lifted the ban on RemoteSpy, but he seemed to understand what was happening:

“[T]his restraining order is only temporary and limited to one particular piece of software — the RemoteSpy keylogger.  I would guess CyberSpy is working with their lawyers to launch an appeal.”

You bet we did.  And the ban was lifted.

It’s funny, but Mr. Googins made an argument very similar to the one we made at our hearing:

“Even if this restraining order sticks and is made permanent, there is a plethora of other keyloggers available on the market, many for free.”

Exactly.  If the FTC really wanted to make some changes in the market, why not work with the whole industry or open the subject up for debate?  Why go after only one maker of remote computer monitoring software?

Finally, Mr. Googins makes a great point:

“The line between good and bad software is a messy one and strict criteria need to be published and publicly available.  Most of all, these criteria need to be evenly applied.  … I believe that if the FTC evenly applies the criteria they state as reasons for restraining the sale of RemoteSpy, hundreds, possibly thousands of other readily available keyloggers will need to be targeted and restrained from sale and distribution.”

And it seems like that’s the problem in a nutshell.  The approach taken by the FTC would render all remote computer monitoring software illegal because they don’t really distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate uses of the software.  But so many of our customers have come forward to explain how pivotal our software is to their families and businesses.  Maybe the FTC will heed their voices?

Well, we did it!  The FTC tried to shut us down and, against all odds, we beat the government regulators.  I just want to send a note of thanks to the hundreds of customers who wrote in with their testimonials about how important RemoteSpy has been to their lives.

We had one mother write in to tell us that RemoteSpy literally saved her son’s life, because the program enabled her to learn that her son had overdosed on drugs and she was able to get him to the hospital just before his heart stopped.  A business owner wrote in to tell us about the employee she caught stealing confidential information from the company and working directly with competitors to undermine their business.

Actually, we had literally hundreds of parents, employers and concerned family members write in with similar stories.  Doctors, lawyers, and plenty of active duty military folks all chimed in to tell us how grateful they were to have a product like RemoteSpy.

We’ve worked hard for years to build a product that people can count on to protect them and their loved ones or businesses.  What the FTC tried to do — and, trust me, I’ll have more to say about that in later posts — jeopardized all of that hard work.  I’m just glad that the Court was able to see both sides of the story and, more importantly, to allow our customers to continue using this great computer monitoring product for its intended, legitimate uses.