Evaluation of Collaborative Reputation System against Privacy-Invasive Software

• Main Author: Majeed, Salman
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Avdelningen för för interaktion och systemdesign 2007
• Subjects: Spyware; PISKeeper; Privacy Invasive; Computer Security; Information Security; Computer Science; Computer Sciences; Datavetenskap (datalogi)
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-4338

As computers are getting integral part of daily lives, threats to privacy and personal information of users are increasing. Privacy-Invasive Software (PIS) is common problem now days. A reputation system named the PISKeeper system has been developed as countermeasure against PIS. This thesis aims at evaluating this system in order to know how and to what extent the PISKeeper system helps users in selecting the right software for their computers. Quantitative approach was adapted to evaluate the PISKeeper system. An experiment was designed and executed on computer users from different age groups and experiences in controlled lab environment. The results have proved that the PISKeeper system helped users in selecting right software for their computer by providing essential information about the specific software and comments from previous users of that software. Apart for evaluating the PISKeeper system, this thesis also aims to suggest improvements for the system. Sometimes PIS is bundled with legitimate software and users are informed about this by stating in End User License Agreement (EULA). Usually the users do not read EULA before accepting it giving consent to whatever written in it. This thesis also aims at suggesting an alternative way to present EULA content so the user may be informed about the behavior of the software in more convenient way.