Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Scareware!:
"Published: July 12, 2005
(After July 20, 2005, this article will only be available to eStat Database subscribers.)
A new survey finds that US Internet users are so fearful of spyware and adware that they are changing their online behavior — avoiding certain Web sites and even switching browsers.
According to a Pew Internet and American Life Project study, 48% of adult Internet US users have stopped visiting specific Web sites that they fear might deposit unwanted programs on their computers. Some 25% have stopped downloading music or video files from P2P networks, and 18% have started using a different Web browser. And 81% have stopped opening e-mail attachments unless they are sure these documents are safe.
Fully 91% of those surveyed reported that they have made at least one behavioral change in response to the security and operational threats posed by spyware and its cousin adware.
Internet users who reported having had spyware on their home computers made a variety of changes to avoid unwanted software.
Internet users who said they have had adware on their home computers made similar changes.
The survey found widespread signs of problems. Some 52% of home internet users said their computer has slowed down or is not running as fast as it used to, 51% said their computer started freezing up or crashing, requiring them to shut down or reset, and 25% said a new program appeared on their computer that they didn't install or new icons suddenly appeared on their desktop. Some 18% of home internet users say their internet home page changed without them resetting it.
In all, the report estimates that 68% of home internet users, or about 93 million American adults, have experienced at least one of these problems in the past year. As to the source of the problem, 60% of Internet users who report computer problems simply do not know how or from where the problem arose.
If you need more information about online threats, and what consumers are doing to avoid them, read eMarketer's Privacy and Security report."
"Published: July 12, 2005
(After July 20, 2005, this article will only be available to eStat Database subscribers.)
A new survey finds that US Internet users are so fearful of spyware and adware that they are changing their online behavior — avoiding certain Web sites and even switching browsers.
According to a Pew Internet and American Life Project study, 48% of adult Internet US users have stopped visiting specific Web sites that they fear might deposit unwanted programs on their computers. Some 25% have stopped downloading music or video files from P2P networks, and 18% have started using a different Web browser. And 81% have stopped opening e-mail attachments unless they are sure these documents are safe.
Fully 91% of those surveyed reported that they have made at least one behavioral change in response to the security and operational threats posed by spyware and its cousin adware.
Internet users who reported having had spyware on their home computers made a variety of changes to avoid unwanted software.
Internet users who said they have had adware on their home computers made similar changes.
The survey found widespread signs of problems. Some 52% of home internet users said their computer has slowed down or is not running as fast as it used to, 51% said their computer started freezing up or crashing, requiring them to shut down or reset, and 25% said a new program appeared on their computer that they didn't install or new icons suddenly appeared on their desktop. Some 18% of home internet users say their internet home page changed without them resetting it.
In all, the report estimates that 68% of home internet users, or about 93 million American adults, have experienced at least one of these problems in the past year. As to the source of the problem, 60% of Internet users who report computer problems simply do not know how or from where the problem arose.
If you need more information about online threats, and what consumers are doing to avoid them, read eMarketer's Privacy and Security report."
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