Users fail to spot fake pop-ups

or Alt and F4 it... safer still just in case the "close" button is also the "go ahead" to install something malicious....
Or open Task Manager and end the browser's process...Since using Firefox add-on ABP last year I have not seen a pop up since....bliss Good article Halo

 

So, explain this "popup" in terms Firefox users can understand.

Oh yeah, that is what causes that grey bar to appear.

It goes away....

 

What really bothers me with this study is that these students have grown up with computers and the internet and really should know better just from their previous experiences.:confused Since it's %63 failure with these 'savvy' internet users, it must be much higher in the general population.

Well, educational facilities should educate their pupils, businesses their workers which then leaves a good number of folks out in the wild. OEMs will just say buy the bundled app as they certainly can't spend the cash. Perhaps the government can help a tad with some ads that say 'Just Don't Click', but that's about it.

Also, there's some people that just don't care. I warned a friend that her e-mail was compromised because it was sending stuff with attachments, but not by her. When I told her, she just replied 'meh, viruses shmiruses', what do I care? Well, she cares now as she lost everything she had saved as the tech just did a clean install.

As to tech sites, I remember a study a few years back that stated only some %5 of internet users even knew these sites were available. I don't know the figure now but it seems about the best way to go. Perhaps MGs should advertise. 'ChasOn, apply directly to your forehead!':-D

 

Well, my Firefox seems to, but I always assumed the reason it does is because I do most of my surfing in Ubuntu... :innocent

Firefox probably stops some malware, though not by far all, if you install NoScript and AdBlocker before you go anywhere on the web in that browser. But even those two add-ons don't change the fact that the user still is the biggest security risk to a computer.

I think the biggest problem is not the lack of knowledge though, but the lack of awareness. Like augie said, less than 5% of internet users are aware that there are communities like this one, where you can get help, and even fewer understand why they need to be careful. You'd think that hints of identity theft would raise red flags, but for some reason that never seems to occur to anyone either.

 

Well, about the only thing my ISP does is offer to sell me some protection from Radialpoint, at $6 to $8 per month. Their scan says that I have to address my AV(Avast) (their software doesn't recognize the update date) and my anti-spyware(don't have one). At least it's something if one wants to pay. They used to have McAfee but I guess it didn't go down too well.:-D

 

I agree, but why would they spend some money to educate when they get paid for protection? That's not a good business model. I'd be fired sooo fast if I ever suggested that! That is if I worked there.

 

I still don't think the root of the problem is in a lack of education. The problem is people don't understand why it matters.

I have a friend who had computer problems... unexpected and unexplainable pop-ups in IE 6, strange programs running in her taskbar that she did not remember installing. I kept trying to warn her and talk her into installing an anti-virus, but it wasn't until a key-logger grabbed her eBay account info and possibly all other sorts of information, that she realized why she should care.

It's like cancer. It happens to others, not to me.

 

Halo, I did not know we were serious here.

I did not use a single smiley.

YES, all users should use caution, and malware is a reason to watch what you click- even if the gray bar goes away, you may still have a problem.

My apologies to you, sir.

And to others offended.

 

Once again, the single biggest threat to computer security is the user.

Trust me, if I was offended, you would know. You would know in an instant.

 

Word.