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Topic: Security

Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

Summary: Comment spam is an increasing nuisance, but security firm Sophos notes that Apple didn't consider the problems when it launched Ping. Simply put, Ping lacks spam and URL filtering.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

Apple's much bally-hooed iTunes social network is becoming overrun by spam.

Comment spam is an increasing nuisance, but security firm Sophos notes that Apple didn't consider the problems when it launched Ping. Simply put, Ping lacks spam and URL filtering.

As Sophos notes:

Most of the security industry has been pointing out the migration of spam from an email-only venture to blog/forum comments, Facebook, Twitter and other Web 2.0 platforms. But apparently Apple didn't consider this when designing Ping, as the service implements no spam or URL filtering. It is no big shock that less than 24 hours after launch, Ping is drowning in scams and spams.

Here's an image via Sophos:

Now I'm not going to throw stones here---we've had more than our share of comment spam problems on ZDNet---but Apple should know that security by obscurity doesn't work when you're the big dog in the market. As Apple grows share and dominates markets, its iOS is going to be a huge target for hackers. ITunes 10 might as well have a bullseye as a logo with all those credit card accounts.

Sophos adds that the attacks on Ping are very similar to the ones launched on Facebook, Google and Twitter. Now it's up to Apple to eradicate the spam as fast as it can.

Topics: Security, Apple

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43 comments
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  • Message has been deleted.

    gembhel
    Reply Vote

  • Message has been deleted.

    gembhel
    Reply Vote

  • Apple is the biggest joke in the software industry

    They have the capability of making decent hardware but their software is absolutely bottom of the barrel.
    NonZealot
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

      @NonZealot <br>at least as far as I see on a pc - yup!<br><br>let my daughter look at Ping and her first comment was "why would I want that? I can't buy anything on it!"<br>She is a Facebook junkie.<br><br>she's right, my credit card.
      rhonin
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

      @NonZealot

      Right, no one uses Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Aperture. Bottom of the barrel. Sure. Their software just might be the best in the industry.
      mitchperkins
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

        @mitchperkins
        Sorry mitch, never heard of those you talk about.
        dbisse@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

        @mitchperkins
        same here - what business are they used in?
        rhonin
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

        @zenwalker and dbisse...

        Your ignorance of these software titles doesn't negate their quality.

        The fact that Sony pictures trusts a $60,000,000 project to Apple software says a lot more about it than do your opinions, nor that of the O.P.
        msalzberg
        Reply Vote

      • $60 Million? is that all?

        @msalzberg

        Maybe if this was the 70's or early 80's that would be worth bragging about...but that budget isn't much by today's standards.
        SonofaSailor
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

        @mitchperkins

        Apple might make some decent software on their own platform, but they can't make anything that is worth a damn on Windows
        Doctor Demento
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

        @mitchperkins

        Yes you're right. WIth Mac use around 5% and serious software users only a small fraction of that, almost no-one uses these tools.

        As to the best in the industry, I'm still laughing. I can choose between hundreds of software applications that deliver more and better than any of the above Apple titles.

        One things for certain it's the best you can get on a Mac, until you install WIndows 7 ;-)

        Mac users should really get out more.
        tonymcs@...
        Reply Vote

      • yeah.. right! haha... Quicktime, iTunes and Safari are CrApple's Best! haha

        @mitchperkins I haven't used Quicktime in eons and will not allow iTunes on any hardware that I work on or own. Safari? I keep hoping but every year they are the first to fall in minutes at PWN2OWN and simply crap compared to even other browsers made on the same Linux KDE KHTML engine and tools. Final Cut Pro? ...come on get real. Everyone knows Linux is the film industry workhorse even for Dreamworks with Avid and RaveHD (Linux). Specsoft's RaveHD is what's used when every single frame in raw footage is measured in gigabytes! lol...

        There are at least a half dozen superior programs available to the public that do a far superior job of editing, on other platforms!<br><br>Possibly Logic Pro would be the only decent one mentioned and over 90% of the World has never heard of it or Aperture! ....wake up fool. It's not like these other programs run on any other platform or that CrApple has allowed any other competition to run on OS-X for the last 10years! lol... <img border="0" src="http://www.cnet.com/i/mb/emoticons/wink.gif" alt="wink"> .....quit with your bogus dream of Mac superiority in a Windows dominated World!!!
        i2fun@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

        @i2fun@...<br>Correct me if I am wrong. This "...first to fall in minutes at PWN2OWN..." is true but, you are missing a key process. The ones that walk to the table plug in their software code PWN2OWN the machine according to their own account have worked on that issue for six months maybe year or more. They already know what they are going to do, have tested their code to do it, the OS and browser they first want to use it on, prior to the event; Du'h! It is not as though someone said, "Hey find an unknown flaw now exploit it, one two three go!".<br><br>That is the same as fixing anything. Client has a electrical problem, study the electrical schematic run tests, now go to the client flip the correct switch all is working. Client is impressed with your knowledge and speed. They do not see the long preparation time, the testing, etc. that went in to knowing which switch to flip.
        BubbaJones_
        Reply Vote

    • MS is the bigggest joke in the software industry

      Best OS, best applications, best hardware

      Deal with it!

      THE WOW IS NOW! what a joke...
      theo_durcan
      Reply Vote

      • And you wonder, sir, whay you are not taken seriouslly?

        @theo_durcan. I believe many here view you as somewhat of a joke, yourself, given many of the posts I have read responding to you.
        Tim Cook
        Reply Vote

    • Dude, really

      @NonZealot you can't seem to talk about anything else but Apple. Half the blogs on ZDNet are about Apple and there you are happily adding you 2 cents. You seem to be seriously enthralled with everything they do...affected.
      CowLauncher
      Reply Vote

  • But It's Magical!

    Come on, this is just a magical revolutionary feature from the digital media leader, Apple! I mean, who doesn't want wondrous lists of spam across hundreds of millions of pages which are supposed to be for comments by actual people.
    clindhartsen
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

    With each version of iTunes they find a way of making it more bloated than the last. Now look at the problems they are facing because of it.
    Loverock Davidson
    Reply Vote

    • Bloatware

      They never learn. Replace "iTunes" with "Adobe Reader" and you get the same results.
      MichP
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple launches iTunes Ping, forgets the spam filters

        @MichP

        You got that right, and add Java to the list as well.
        dbisse@...
        Reply Vote
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