Microsoft: Americans Are Internet Security Illiterates - Fear Not Vista Saves All!

Americans are illiterates when it comes down to Internet security, and this is yet another category where men "rule", according to a survey commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by Harris Interactive. The conclusion of the Microsoft sponsored study is that approximately one in five online Americans has been the victim of at least one Internet scam. The survey involved no less than 2,482 U.S. adults, and polled the participants in relation to "fraud-related attacks, or cyber-scams", basic illustrations of social engineering techniques.

"Most surprising to us was the fact that more than half of those surveyed (58 percent) admitted that they had little to no knowledge of current online threats and scams. Unfortunately, this lack of knowledge is why people continue to fall victim to these crimes. Nearly one out of every five online adults (17 percent) has been a victim of at least one Internet scam, and 81 percent of those admitted that they did something that led to the crime, such as opening an e-mail that appeared to be from a legitimate person or company. To us, this clearly illustrates the scope of the problem and the increased need to communicate frequently and articulate ways to avoid these crimes. As a general rule, we always recommend that people "think first, click later"," stated Adrienne Hall, senior director of the Trustworthy Computing Group at Microsoft.

'Social engineering attacks' is a phrase describing Internet based attacks that do not exploit vulnerabilities in software products, online solutions or hosted services, but that turn to the weaknesses inherent in human nature. Victims are generally tricked by various promises and incentives to reveal their sensitive data or to get involved in different schemes that ultimately result in fraud and financial loss. And apparently men, despite being more informed are also more vulnerable to social engineering.

"We found that online men claim to be more informed of online fraud; 47 percent of men said they are very knowledgeable or knowledgeable of online scams, compared with only 36 percent of women. However, despite claiming to be more knowledgeable, men are more likely than women to be victims of online crime. The survey found that 69 percent of women claimed they have never been a victim of an Internet scam, compared with just 63 percent of men," Hall added.

Social engineering is not a software design flaw, and is not a technology security vulnerability, and therefore it cannot be patched or updated. And even user education can do little to impact phishing attacks. But Microsoft has the right recipe, and it involves a little bit of Vista, and just a sprinkle of Windows Live OneCare. Not the best solution, but the best that the Redmond company has to offer, according to Hall.