Survey Finds Consumers Balk at Updating Malware Protection
Nearly 90 percent of computer users have antivirus software installed on their PCs, according to a recent ESET survey conducted by Harris Interactive, but 65 percent have put off updating the programs. Thirty-eight percent postponed the upgrades because they said they are too disruptive, followed by 32 percent who responded that they could wait, 27 percent who said they take too long, and 14 percent who were not sure how to do it. "Overall, the research shows that many consumers have a false sense of security while online," stated ESET chief research officer Andrew Lee. "With the number of zero-day threats rapidly increasing, users need to be even more cautious and proactive in their own protection." Forty-two percent revealed they did not have malware on their computers. Ron O'Brien at Sophos said the statistics are not surprising since many consumers are unhappy with the upgrade process and vendors sometimes try and take advantage of consumers. Despite the unhappiness, 55 percent of polled PC users were confident in the protection antivirus programs provide for their computers. The survey included 2,079 U.S. adult computer users ages 18 years and up.
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