11 Internet Security Myths That Delude Computer Users - Fahmida Y. Rashid, eWeek

Many surveys have highlighted the fact that end users are not security-conscious and do not think about the implications of their online activities, making them vulnerable to attack by cyber-criminals. A recent survey of nearly 16,000 users in 11 countries by G Data Software uncovered a startling fact: Users are thinking about security, but what they know is light years out-of-date or completely wrong. "The majority of Internet users, regardless of age, sex or nationality, are aware that there are threats on the Internet," G Data's researchers wrote in the report. However, a lot of what they think they know may have been true in the nineties and in the first decade of the new millennium but has not been true for the past several years, the researchers said. As a result, end users are relying on "very out-of-date facts" to protect themselves, the researchers noted. Only a small percentage understand the nature of current online threats or how to effectively protect themselves from computer malware, the report found.