14 DAY TRIAL // The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has conducted a study to find out if Australians are aware of the risks posed by malware. The results are not too encouraging.
According to the report, over 7 million of the Australians who use the Internet – representing almost half of Web users – don’t believe they’ll be a victim of malware.
Furthermore, 10% of those who access the Web from home-based computers (1.5 million people) don’t use any kind of security software. 8% have admitted not updating their software regularly.
“These alarming results indicate Australian internet users need to be more vigilant in protecting their computing devices from malware,” commented Richard Bean, the ACMA's deputy chairman and cyber security spokesman.
“Malware is a real threat. It allows others to steal your personal identity information, including your login details for internet services like online banking. Malware can be used to get access to almost any content on your devices, including your online browsing history,” he added.
Bean notes that it’s difficult to accurately determine the number of pieces of malware currently in circulation. However, the Australian Internet Security Initiative (AISI) has found that 35,000 Australian IP addresses are infected each day.
The risks are clear, considering that many of these threats are banking Trojans such as ZeuS, and considering that 88% of Australians who use the Internet make online financial transactions.
ACMA advises Australians to set strong passwords on their online accounts, install security solutions and update them regularly, and make sure their operating system and other pieces of software are always up to date.
The complete report, named “Malware and harmful software: Consumer views on software threats and use of protections,” can be found on ACMA’s website.