Alliance to improve home PC security
A group of high-tech companies and U.S. government agencies announced Thursday a new campaign to educate home computer users and small businesses about ways to keep hackers and viruses at bay.
At the core of the Stay Safe Online Campaign is a Web site (www.staysafeonline.info) with information and tips people can follow to protect the security of their computers.
The campaign is aimed at home users and small businesses, who are increasingly vulnerable to attack because many of them use so-called always on cable and digital subscriber line Internet connections.
In addition, home and small business computer users lack the money and dedicated security staff that corporations have to secure their systems.
"They don't have the infrastructure support that people who work in large companies have at the office," said Tatiana Gau, senior vice president of integrity assurance at AOL Time Warner, a member of the alliance.
They also don't have "the inclination to focus on the necessary security," she added.
Backing that up are two new surveys conducted in conjunction with the launch of the campaign. An online survey of more than 700 corporate managers revealed that only half typically update their antivirus software every week, according to "CIO" and "Darwin" magazines.
A survey conducted by Digital Marketing Services found that 97 percent, or nearly all of its 1,014 online respondents, are vulnerable to Internet security threats since they do not adhere to all of the key practices that protect their systems from attack.
Specifically related to viruses, more than three-quarters, or 77 percent, are vulnerable since they don't update antivirus software on a regular basis, the Digital Marketing survey found.
The Stay Safe Web site offers a list of top tips for home users. For instance: Don't open e-mail from unknown sources; use hard-to-guess passwords; disconnect from the Internet when not in use; and back up data and download software patches regularly.
Alliance members include the FBI, Department of Defense, Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, AT&T and more than 30 others.
