Uncertainty of IT security and Internet User

According to a recent study Online Wellbeing Survey by F-Secure revealed that even users from US, Canada, UK, France and Germany don’t feel that their PCs and their email are safe from malware. While most internet users in the US, Canada, the UK, France and Germany have security software installed on their PCs, many remain unsure about IT security, according to the study.

Figures produced by F-Secure suggest that many consumers are unsure that their email is free of malware and other threats, while few people realise how frequently their security software’s antivirus definitions need updating.

On average, just under one in five (19 per cent) of respondents had an understanding that antivirus definitions had to be updated on a regular basis the whole time the day.

“It’s concerning to see that so many consumers believe their antivirus definitions are up to date while not understanding how regularly they need to be updated,” stated Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer at F-Secure.

However, research recently published by Get Safe Online suggested that internet users in the UK are becoming increasingly aware of the need for IT security, with more than 90 per cent of people and an even greater proportion of small businesses having installed anti-virus software on their computers.

The users from Germany were most well-informed though; even though they were most leery of E-Commerce websites packages and online banking, they understood best of all respondents how often antivirus definitions need to be updated.