SECURITY
PC users alter behaviour to elude spyware
07-07-2005
by Charlie Taylor
Over 90 percent of internet users in the US have altered the way they behave online in order to avoid invasive software such as spyware and pop-up ads.
According to a new survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the vast majority of US net users have changed their online behaviour to stay one step ahead of Internet-based threats.
Spyware programs that secretly plant themselves on computers to monitor users' online behaviour or hijack their browsers have affected millions of internet users over the past few years.
The Pew study shows that about 93 million American internet users have had computer trouble in the past year, which were consistent with problems caused by spyware and viruses. In addition, some 25 percent of internet users reported seeing new programs on their PCs that they did not install or new icons on their desktop that seemed to come out of nowhere. One in five internet users have had their homepage inexplicably changed.
However, the survey indicates that internet users are now fighting back against spyware. A total of 91 percent of respondents said that they had changed their online behaviour over the past year. Of these, 81 percent of Internet users said that they had stopped opening e-mail attachments unless they were sure that the documents were safe.
Close to 50 percent of Internet users reported that they had stopped visiting particular websites that they feared might deposit unwanted applications on their PCs. Twenty-five percent of respondents also said they had stopped downloading music or video files from peer-to-peer networks to avoid getting unwanted software programs on their computers. Additionally 18 percent of Internet users had switched browser to avoid Internet-based threats.
"Familiarity breeds contempt when it comes to spyware. The more internet users know about these programs, the more they want to sound the alarm and take steps to protect themselves," said the report's author Susannah Fox. "These survey results show that as internet users gain experience with spyware and adware, they are more likely to say they are changing their behaviour."
Overall, 49 percent of American internet users see spyware as a serious threat to their online security and many believe that more should be done to alert consumers when adware is being loaded onto their computers while installing other software, such as a peer-to-peer programs.
In many cases, adware is installed after internet users check off and consent to a user agreement, but 73 percent of US internet users admitted that they rarely read such agreements thoroughly.
Meanwhile a second study conducted by Sunbelt System Software in the UK reveals that 42 percent of organisations admit spyware is not under control.
In a monthly poll of systems administrators, IT managers, consultants and home users, Sunbelt has identified spyware to be of greater concern than phishing and viruses with 68 percent of respondents distinguishing it as their principal security problem. In addition, 94 percent believe spyware is hampering the productivity of users and wasting company time in rectifying the difficulties it generates.
Creating successful email surveys: Denise Cox of email specialist Newsweaver argues that you can tap into your readers' likes or dislikes by surveying them.
