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Submitted by: Bill Hickey
NCVA List Master

NRT-0393 Spyware forum says computer users often to blame:

Some estimates suggest spyware problems in the US are decreasing, but writers of all kinds of malware are prevailing - partly because of computer user behavior, antispyware experts said. An administrator of security software vendor Lavasoft's online support forums says computer users run outdated antivirus software, operating systems, and browsers because they're scared of change. She said during an Anti-Spyware Coalition conference in Washington that she still sees people running a 2003 version of antivirus software. In addition to problems caused by users, there's a healthy underground market for the kinds of data compromised by spyware and other malware, said the director of the Collaborative Center for Internet Epidemiology and Defenses at the University of California in San Diego. The center monitored a popular malware-trading IRC forum for about six months in 2006 and found the advertised value of compromised bank accounts offered there was $54 million. While some estimates show the spyware problem shrinking, US companies and consumers are losing the battle against malware in general, he said. Antivirus vendors, in unguarded moments, will say they're able to catch less and less malware as criminals become more sophisticated. The chances of an internet fraudster getting caught are "virtually zero," he added. The panel on consumer behavior kicked off a daylong session on fighting spyware, during which many experts said they continue to have major concerns about spyware and other malware. Those concerns remain despite Consumer Reports' annual estimate of spyware that suggests the problem is declining. The magazine estimated that 850,000 US households had to replace computers in the first half of 2007, with the cost of fighting spyware at $1.7 billion for the year. In 2006, spyware cost US individuals and businesses an estimated $2.6 billion, the magazine said.

(IDG News Service 31JAN08)

Last Modified: Sunday, 17-Feb-2008 14:08:11 EST