TAG Launches Certification Program to Fight Malware in Digital Ad Supply Chain

The Trustworthy Accountability Group launched an anti-malware certification seal program for buyers, sellers and intermediaries in the digital advertising supply chain, said the ad industry initiative in a news release Tuesday. TAG, which was formed by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Association of National Advertisers and Interactive Advertising Bureau, said it's also building and hosting an information-sharing hub to disseminate real-time intelligence about malware attacks to the industry and law enforcement. Adform, AppNexus, Google and RocketFuel are some ad companies and agencies that agreed to participate in the certification program, which entails complying with certain guidelines and best practices for scanning content for malware. The program "uses a multi-prong approach that includes consumer education, industry best practices, information sharing, and law enforcement to shut down malware distributors and protect the advertising supply chain," said TAG CEO Mike Zaneis. The threat-sharing hub will permit some companies to get data on the most recent infections, "serving as a type of immune system for the industry in helping it respond to new and emerging threats," TAG said. The anti-malware program is the fourth and last program in the initiative's mission to stop fraudulent traffic, fight malware and internet piracy and promote transparency.