Stephen Withers
Friday, 04 September 2009 10:42
Opinion and Analysis
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A new survey asserts that Australians are going online without adequate protection. Fact or scaremongering?
Another entry for the "they would say that, wouldn't they" file. A security software vendor reckons a survey shows a large majority of Australians are inadequately protected against online threats.
"PC Tools Research shows 84% of Australians don't have adequate protection against online threats" trumpets the headline.
Maybe, maybe not.
That 84% appears to be the complement of the 16% that reported having comprehensive protection against viruses, spyware and other malware.
If we're talking about PCs used at work, how many people that aren't technically inclined would notice what sort of security software is in use? You'd certainly wouldn't expect all home users to be able to answer the question accurately either.
So while PC Tools says "an alarming 25% of [Australian] respondents didn't know what type of security software they had installed", I don't see it as alarming at all. Given the widespread use of PCs, it's impressive that so many managed to answer the question.
If you asked 100 people whether their cars had a dynamo or an alternator, or if they had cross-ply or radial tyres, how many would be able to answer?
Some of the survey's findings are more worrying, so please
read on.
