AP reports that yet another study shows many computer owners are not as safe as they think:



The study being released Monday by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance found that 77 percent of 326 adults in 12 states assured researchers in a telephone poll they were safe from online threats. Nearly as many people felt confident they were already protected specifically from viruses and hackers.

When experts visited those same homes to examine computers, they found two-thirds of adults using antivirus software that was not updated in at least seven days.

Two-thirds of the computer users also were not using any type of protective firewall program, and spyware was found on the computers of 80 percent of those in the study.

Source, accessed 10/25/2004
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ternet_security


Cheers,
John

Sad to say, but there are still a lot of people out there that don't have a clue, when it comes to security. They install their security programs, and that's the last time they see it. But, if it weren't for these people, this would sure be a slow board.
The HJT Team wouldn't have anything to do. LOL

As if further proof were needed, there is an article summarising a test by USA in which an unprotected Windows computer, hooked up to the internet and then left alone, was intruded within the first 4 minutes.

"Each PC was connected to the Internet via a broadband DSL connection and monitored for two weeks in September. Break-in attempts began immediately and continued at a constant and high level: an average of 341 per hour against the Windows XP machine with no firewall or recent security patches, 339 per hour against the Apple Macintosh and 61 per hour against the Windows Small Business Server. Each was sold without an activated firewall."

The Windows computer, using XP1 without a firewall, was subjected to an average of 341 attacks PER HOUR.



Source:

USA Today. article updated 11/30


See also the companion article with added discussion and detail of the experiment:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computer...afeguards_x.htm

Unprotected PCs can be hijacked in minutes
By Byron Acohido and Jon Swartz, USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computer...-honeypot_x.htm

Cheers,
John

It almost seems if one just turns a computer on, it gets infected by something - whether it's connected to the WWW or not!



Several weeks ago I cleaned out an HP laptop for an acquaintance who had never connected it herself to the web. But it was apparent by the malware, spyware and adaware that I found residing on the system - that the selling dealer had infected it one way or another!