Raging of computer infections in Australia

According to AusCERT Home Users Computer Security Survey conducted by marketing information company Nielsen, in Australia one of five home computers is infected by malicious software as a result of insufficient application of security tools or careless online users' attitude about computer protection.

As the study reveals, 75 percent of home users connect themselves to the internet by means of an administrator account, while 54 percent stay connected all the time. This demonstrates that due to online users' ignorance about security operations and poor security practice, their computers became unprotected from attacks.

Although 84 percent use their computer to access internet banking services, 66 percent for electronic payments and 52 percent to buy and sell online, the study reveals that 11 percent of respondents have never updated their operating system and 8 percent have never updated their anti-virus software. 30 percent of respondents say that they click on links in spam email, 35 percent are connected to risky peer-to-peer networks for file-sharing and 5 percent piggyback on a neighbor's WiFi access point which is not secured.

Although, 94 percent secures themselves by installation of anti-virus software, 86 percent by using a firewall and 42 percent by means of anti-phishing tools, 23 percent of the polled have been exposed to malware infections. And some 14 percent have not taken initiative to detect and eliminate the reason at all, facing the same problem.