Network security knowledge: View the user license agreement

It is very necessary to understand the user license agreement. However, in the process of constantly investigating some software and in news reports, some parts of the user license agreement are illegal and violate regulations, inducing users to agree, and hiding many tricks in the long text. If sensitive personal information is excessively collected, the mobile terminal locates the user's location, etc., some software does not need some sensitive personal information, but the software vendors continue to play word games and collect personal information beyond the scope. We can see this in the rectification of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other departments.

What is an End User License Agreement?

An End User License Agreement (EULA) is a contract between us and the software vendor or developer. Some software packages state that by simply removing the shrink wrap on the package, we agree to the contract. However, we may be more familiar with the type of EULA that is displayed as a dialog box when we first open the software. Acceptance of the conditions of the contract is usually required to proceed. Software updates and patches may also include new or updated EULAs with terms that differ from the original terms. Some EULAs apply only to certain features of the software, so we may only encounter them when we try to use those features.

Unfortunately, many users do not read a EULA before accepting it, the terms of each contract vary, and we may agree to conditions that we later deem unfair or that expose us to unintended security risks.

What terms can be included?

EULAs are legal contracts where vendors or developers can include almost any conditions. These conditions are usually designed to protect the developer or vendor from liability, but they may also include additional terms that give the vendor some control over our computers. The following topics are commonly covered in EULAs:

• Distribution - There are usually limits on the number of times we can install the software and copy it for distribution.
• Warranty - Developers or vendors often include a disclaimer that they are not responsible for any problems resulting from improper use of the software. They may also protect themselves from liability due to software defects, software malfunctions, or incompatibility with other programs on your computer.

The following topics, while not standard, are examples of additional conditions included in a EULA that raise security implications that should be considered before accepting the agreement.

• Monitoring - Agreeing to the EULA may allow the vendor to monitor our computer activity and feed that information back to the vendor or other third parties. Depending on the information collected, this type of monitoring may have both security and privacy implications.
• Software Installation - Certain agreements allow the vendor to install additional software on our computers, which may include updated versions of software programs that are installed (determining which version we are running may be a result of the monitoring described above). The vendor may also include statements that allow them or other third parties to install additional software programs on the computer. Such software may be non-essential, may affect the functionality of other programs on our computer, and may pose a security risk.

Reference source: CISA official website

By: Mindy McDowell