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 Security study reveals frightening results
October 27, 2004
80 per cent of home PCs infected, according to a study conducted cooperatively by AOL and the National Cyber Security Alliance. This survey of home computers and their owners reveals a gap between users' perceptions and the prevalence of actual threats on the internet.
That gap causes many home computer users to forgo security precautions such as anti-virus and firewall software, and could pose a threat to the integrity of sensitive personal and financial information, which survey respondents said they are increasingly using their computer to manage, according to a statement released by AOL.
Security experts have researched computers of 329 volunteers. They found that nearly all Windows PCs are infected with some form of malware, and that a majority of users are unaware of the simplest security basics, such as the difference between anti-virus software and a firewall, for instance. Despite that, more than two-thirds of home users think they are safe from online threats.
Participants were interviewed about their awareness of online threats. Following their interview, AOL techies examined firewall and antivirus settings on participants' computers and looked for virus infections, and the presence of spyware and adware.
Most users had antivirus software installed, chiefly because it's usually preloaded on OEM boxes, but two thirds had not bothered to update their virus databases in the preceding week. One poor victim had 92 viruses on their PC, and another a whopping 1,059 spyware/adware pests.
Two thirds of users had no firewall or packet filter, and 14 per cent of those who had them had misconfigured them. And only nine per cent had any sort of parental controls in place.
Alan Paller, research director of the SANS Institute, responded to the survey by saying, "This survey reinforces the truth that nagging consumers to add firewalls and anti-virus tools, and to implement difficult updating processes, is a failed strategy."
Better security on home machines is becoming more urgent as more individuals use computers for managing sensitive information such as financial and health data, AOL said.
As with the introduction of any new, widely adopted technology, increased computer use requires users to become more threat-savvy, Watson said. "It's like the introduction of cars and new roads in the last century -- people need to use them wisely and safely," he said.
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