> but the cost of a certificate is itself a barrier for spyware distributors Is it? If spyware and malware wasn't profitable, people wouldn't take the risks to

> but the cost of a certificate is itself a barrier for spyware distributors Is it? If spyware and malware wasn't profitable, people wouldn't take the risks to create and distribute it. An up front cost of a few hundred dollars could be made back with a single successful ransomware attack, and the certificate would last years. This "smart screen" thing, as well as Google's endless warnings when you try to install an app outside of their store on Android are not for protecting the user; they're there to prevent competition.