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Internet Security Remains Stark Threat, Warns Consumer Reports

YONKERS, New York — Based on data published in Consumer Reports’ State of the Net survey, consumers and businesses should remain hyper vigilant about protecting their PCs. The study found that American consumers spent at least $7.8 billion on repairs, parts and computer replacements over the past two years because of viruses, malware, phishing and other badware.

Consumer Reports State of the Net survey is the company’s third annual survey of online activity and threats. The data represents a national sample of more than 2,000 households with Internet access. It was conducted this spring by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Among the study’s targeted findings are:

  • Twenty-nine percent said a virus, spyware, or phishing scam caused serious computer problems and/or financial losses in the past two years.

  • Twenty percent of the households surveyed didn’t have antivirus software installed.

  • Thirty-five percent didn’t use software to block or remove spyware. And consumers in roughly 795,000 households continued to buy products advertised through spam.

  • 2.4 million households connected to broadband Internet do not keep an active firewall.

  • Minors are being targeted online, as easy marks for spyware, and by predators on social networking sites.

  • Fifty-nine percent of Windows users reported a virus infection during the past two years or a spyware infection in the past six months.

  • The fastest growing cyberthreat are hoards of personal computers compromised by bots that are leased out to spam, spyware and identity-theft criminals.

    “In looking at Consumer Reports’ study it is more important that ever for adult webmasters and adult site operators to implement the strongest security measures to protect the end user and its webmaster affiliates,” Atlas Multimedia’s Domenick Bongiorno told XBIZ. Bongiorno’s company designs and manages official porn star sites. “This is a huge problem for everyone with a broadband-connected computer, so it’s important to shell out the extra money to properly protect not only your PC — but the investment in the sites you create and market.”

    During Consumer Reports’ first 24 hours of monitoring cyber assaults at Symantec’s Alexandria, Va. facility, the company observed 59 million malicious attack attempts from North America alone.

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