August 9, 2004
CONTACTS:
Lauren Hackett (914) 378-2561 or
Alberto Rojas (914) 378-2434
—Report Includes Survey Results, Software Ratings and
Tips to Avoid Online Hazards Such as ID Theft —
YONKERS, NY—While viruses and spam continue to proliferate, they have been joined by two emerging threats: spyware and phishing, according to the September issue of Consumer Reports (CR). The issue takes an in-depth look at the state of online security, including results of two nationally-representative surveys of at-home Internet users’ and email users’ experiences, ratings of anti-virus and antispyware programs, anti-spam software, and tips to help consumers avoid online annoyances.
“For now, keeping spam out of your life requires setting up a fortress around your computer with help from your Internet service provider and spam-blocking software,” said James Guest, president of Consumers Union. “While consumers are busy protecting themselves, service providers and the software industry have work to do.”
On January 1, 2004 the first federal law regulating junk e-mail, the CAN-SPAM Act, went into effect and has resulted in a few prosecutions of people charged with spamming by the Department of Justice. But a CR survey of 2,000 email users indicates that the new law hasn’t reduced spam yet. In fact, most people who received spam in the previous month said it outnumbered legitimate messages.
69 percent said half or more of their e-mail was spam
About 55 percent said they received pornographic or other objectionable material
47 percent said they were receiving more spam three months after Can-Spam went into effect
To avoid spam, Consumer Reports recommends that consumers:
Don’t buy anything promoted in a spam message
Don’t reply to spam or click on its “unsubscribe” link
Disable preview panels in email programs to prevent the spam from reporting back to its sender
The Consumer Reports tests found that MailFrontier Desktop (Matador) ($30) is a good choice for consumers who want maximum spam blocking and don’t mind checking for valid e-mail that was mistakenly blocked. For consumers who prefer to minimize valid e-mail mistakenly classified as spam, while still getting a very good spam blocker, CR recommends Alladin/Mailshell SpamCatcher Universal ($30).
Virus Wars
In the CR survey of households with at-home Internet access, nearly 7 percent said they had permanently lost important data files because of a virus, 64 percent said that they had detected a virus on their computers in the past two years and more than 12 percent had found a virus 10 or more times in that period.
The survey also found that consumers aren’t doing all they can. Fourteen percent of broadband users don’t use a firewall. To avoid viruses, Consumer Reports recommends that consumers:
Don’t open an email attachment unless it’s expected
Regularly update their operating system, Web browser and other major software
Use antivirus software, updated often to recognize the latest threats
The Consumer Reports tests found that Tend Micro PC-cillin 2004 ($50) and Norton AntiVirus 2004 9.0 ($50) are good choices for consumers looking for full-featured, easy-to-use antivirus programs.
Spyware Sneaks In
In a nationally-representative survey of more than 2,000 households with at-home Internet access, CR found that 36 percent reported that their home page had been changed – a common symptom of spyware. Spyware isn’t a single type of software. The term covers a diverse range of applications. Like spam, spyware is often used by third-party marketers associated with reputable companies whose products they are hawking. To avoid spyware, Consumer Reports recommends that consumers:
Download and install software only from trusted online sources
Adjust the Web browser’s security settings to the medium or high level
Use updated antispyware software to scan the hard drive regularly
For maximum spyware detection, Lavasoft Ad-aware 6 Standard (free) and PestPatrol ($40) came out at the top of the Consumer Reports tests.
Phishing: Identity-Theft Spam
Phishing, the sending of fraudulent e-mail that solicits confidential information, such as your password, by impersonating banks or other institutions online, is on the rise. Consumer Reports recommends the following steps to outwit online ID thieves:
Never directly respond to e-mail asking for personal information
Questionable messages should be verified by contacting the institution itself
When prompted for a password, give an incorrect one first. A phishing site will accept it; a legitimate one won’t.
Two sidebars, “Phishing: The latest ID theft scam” and “What you can do to protect yourself online,” will be available for free on www.ConsumerReports.org.
SEPTEMBER 2004
The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, CU accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. CU supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants. CO:LH:7/28/04