Survey Finds Consumer’s PCs Lack Adequate Cyber Security

Majority of the American users think that they're safeguarding their PCs against hacking, but their activities reveal they aren't as secure as they believe, stated a report issued in the beginning of October 2007.

Around 87% of the U.S. users who were examined in this survey think that their PCs are guarded with anti-virus software, but inspection of their computers ascertained that just 52% of them are loaded with a very recently updated (updated the previous month) anti-virus program, as revealed by the survey conducted by National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and McAfee Inc.. Over 90% of the examined users told they think their systems were safeguarded against viruses.

Also, seven out of ten U.S. users imagine they have anti-spyware program fixed on their machines, but just 55% actually have them, the survey indicated. Moreover, 61% people think their PCs have anti-spam program, when only 21% really have them.

Nearly 78% PCs checked by McAfee during the survey lacked "core security" - a combination of anti-spyware, anti-virus, and firewall program on their PCs. The research was done via e-mail missives, and the 378 respondents replying to the study permitted their machines to be checked.

According to news reported on October 13, 2007 by Wiener Zeitung, McAfee's Senior Vice -President and General Manager of Consumer, Mobile and Small Business, Todd Gebhart, has informed that there are still numerous users who are susceptible to hazards like phishing, spyware, cyber-terrorists and malicious sites capable of corrupting their PCs with a variety of malware.

The survey findings reveal a pressing need to instruct users about cyber security, told National Cyber Security Alliance's Executive Director, Ron Teixeira, according to news published on October 13, 2007 by Wiener Zeitung.

Furthermore, top cyber security software purveyor Webroot Software, Inc. exhorted Web users to install the most effective kind of cyber security system throughout the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) to guard against the most harmful varieties of malware.

As per Webroot's report, Internet threats are increasing. Webroot alleges that it found that almost 6.5 Million sites hold spyware, showing a 183% percent hike as of January 2007.

Related article: Survey Finds 96% Zombie PCs in Malaysia

» SPAMfighter News - 10/29/2007