Description

MarketScore is a proxy service which claims to increase the speed of your internet connection. It runs at startup to ensure all your web connections are routed through MarketScore's proxies. (I did not observe any significant speedup from using the service.)

Also known as

Netsetter (previous name), ossproxy (program name).

Distribution

Is installed through ActiveX at MarketScore's site, heavily pushed by MarketScore affiliates. Possibly installed with some ISP software?

What it does

Advertising

No.

Privacy violation

Yes. Every web connection you make, including 'secure' connections, goes through the proxies and is logged and analysed on behalf of MarketScore's customer companies.

Security issues

Unconfirmed. There is a 'required update' feature, but it is unknown whether this happens without consent from the user.

Stability problems

Won't work if you have to use a different proxy. Will kill your internet connection if you try to delete the csloa.dll component manually.

Removal

There is a hidden uninstall feature. Open a DOS command prompt window (from Start->Programs->Accessories) and enter (for Windows 95/98/Me):

"%WinDir%\SYSTEM\NSCheck.exe" /uninstall

Or for Windows NT/2000/XP just:

NSCheck /uninstall

Spybot S&D version 0.95b6 and up can remove MarketScore.