Re: "80 Percent Had Spyware"

From: Moe Trin (ibuprofin_at_painkiller.example.tld)
Date: 10/28/04 

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 21:03:55 -0500

In article <417f902a.48114@news.bellatlantic.net>, Brad wrote:

>Note: I never type my credit card number on my computer.

Fine - what else is on your computer?

>I just heard the news about a survey on a group of home and business
>computers. "80 percent of the computers tested had active spyware
>running". Key loggers that record your keystrokes is a major part
>of spyware.

CNet News Com had reported that last Sunday, NewsScan Daily, on Monday,
and it was then reported by the RISKS-LIST: Risks-Forum Digest on Monday
morning as well. The report actually was on a study done by AOL and the
National Cyber Security Alliance.

[quote]

  about 80% of home PCs are infected with spyware, but most users aren't
  even aware of it. And while 85% of users had installed antivirus soft-
  ware, two-thirds of those had not updated it in the past week. In add-
  ition, about 20% had an active virus on their machines and two-thirds
  did not have a firewall installed.

[enquote]

I've been saying for eight years that nearly all home computer users
should not even _have_ a computer, nevermind one connected to a network.
They don't know what it's doing, and don't want to learn. Yet some people
insist that it's OK, and even an untrained monkey high on crack cocaine
can use a computer. The recent television ad from AOL where the man and
woman are trying to figure out what's wrong with their computer, while a
baby with a wooden mallet is using it to wack the crap out of the mouse
(and in so doing, activates a proprietary AOL program to "fix" the computer)
is one example. SORRY PEOPLE - IT ISN'T THAT SIMPLE!!!

Most "spyware" is installed WILLINGLY by users either _automatically_
clicking "OK" on any dialog box that pops up, or worse, have told their
browser to not bother them by asking such questions and just go ahead and
install ANYTHING immediately. If they think about it at all, they are not
concerned, because the computer came with this anti-virus stuff (a 30 day
trial setup), and firewall (disabled because it gets in the way of their
"surfing experience"). One really smart user was recently complaining that
his computer was "slow", and a tech discovered over a _thousand_ spyware
programs trying to run on it at the same time.

> Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
> be sure there is no active key logger (spyware) in your PC.

Most users won't read that - because it doesn't happen to them. The
rest wouldn't have the first clue as to how to discover if they have
a key logger (active OR inactive) on their computer. It's hard enough
for them to remember how to turn the damn thing on and off.

--------------------
It just so happens that the most frequently used vector to date is that of
user stupidity (why is it that we laugh at the cartoon animal who falls
for the "stand here and press this button" gag, but so many of us seem
content to "click here and be amazed"?)
-------------------
The two most common things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.
          -- Harlan Ellison
-------------------

        Old guy