[General] Is SBC's cfd.exe Spyware or Adware? SBC says, "No."
Several sources on the net have reported that cfd.exe is spyware or adware. The "BroadJump Client Foundation" software is automatically installed with SBC's DSL kit. I, myself, have wondered about this and was on the edge of uninstalling it when I decided to chat online with SBC support. The SBC support professional has certified to me that cfd.exe is only being used for network management purposes.
For the benefit of others, and to put that answer "on the record," the following is a transcript of that chat session. Please note that I have only replaced my SBC email address with "Customer." "Filbert" is the name of the responding SBC representative.
How can we assist you today? Filbert: Hello Customer, we have
received the following information from
you, upon entering this session: Customer: Hello! I am trying to clean all spyware and adware from my machine. One item that shows up on the Internet as spyware is the BroadJump Client Foundation software (cfd.exe). This was automatically installed with SBC DSL. Can I safely remove cfd without impairing my SBC DSL service? Filbert: I understand that you want to uninstall cfd from SBC DSL services, is that correct? Customer: Yes. BTW, BroadJump.com is now Motive.com Filbert: I apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and will try my best to assist you. Customer: AFAIK, I just need to shut down cfd.exe in TaskManager and then uninstall it from Add/Remove Programs. What I want to know is will that impair my DSL service in any way. Filbert: Please know that CFD is not a spyware, it is internal file in DSL connection manager. Filbert: It is used to check your system settings and also network settings associated with your computer. Customer: Other sources say that it is transmitting information from my computer that can be used to target advertisements. Customer: If the information it transmits is not being in any way used to drive advertising to my computer, I do not have any problem with that. Can you certify that it is only being used for network menagement purposes? Filbert: To remove that file, you need to uninstall DSL connection manager from your system. Customer: My message timed out. I repeat it here: Filbert: Sure. Customer: If the information it transmits is not being in any way used to drive advertising to my computer, I do not have any problem with that. Can you certify that it is only being used for network management purposes? Filbert: Please know that file is not used for advertising purpose, it is only used by connection manager for network check and your system settings. Customer: In that case, I will leave it be. |