Poll Says Men Show Online Security Overconfidence

Online security has always been a main concern among computer users, but a recent poll suggests most men are overconfident about their online security saviness. A poll conducted by AVG, a security software company, found that of the 1,400 people surveyed, only four percent of men were unaware of the type of protection they have on their computer. And while the majority of men felt they were pretty secure online, the truth is both sexes are equally vulnerable to online threats.

Larry Bridwell, a global security strategist at AVG, told Vnunet.com, "Men feel that they are more in control of what they do. It's like map reading. In fact the risk is equal among the sexes."

About a third of all users polled, men and women, said they have suffered a form of identity theft in the past, but when asked whether they would change their habits as a result, only 18 percent of men said they would!

Here's a few other tidbits the poll revealed:

• 1 in 5 men have experienced fraudulent emails
• 1 in 3 men have experienced some type of cybercrime
• 1 in 5 men say they would feel stupid if they were victims of cyber theft
• 40 percent of men feel more should be more done to educate people about cyber theft
• Women are more cautious about cyber protection
• Women shop and bank online as much as men do

Online security is still the biggest problem we face today, so Bridwell recommends consumers stick to conducting personal transactions on their own computers as opposed to public PCs, using established online payment systems, and deleting emails that come from people you don't know.

"Since instances of cyber theft are about the same for both sexes it shows that women need to familiarize themselves more with Internet security so that they can use the Web with greater confidence," said Bridwell.

"Men on the other hand need to be less macho and think twice about whether they have really done enough to protect themselves - especially when it comes to the amount of personal information they supply when making purchases and financial transactions online."

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