ANTenna Blog -- Security

They've got computers, they've got apps and they've almost undoubtedly got confidential data, but a new study from privacy company Steganos found that nearly 10 percent of computer users didn't know if they had anti-virusware installed. And it gets worse...

The Steganos survey, conducted this past July, found that s atartling -- sickening, really -- 13 percent did know whether or not they had anti-virus products installed on their machines.

They don't.

It's one thing -- sort of -- not to know whether your machine is protected: ignorance may not be an excuse but it's not uncommon, either.

But for more than 10 percent of a survey body to admit that they don't use security products is beyond ignorant. Way beyond.

The survey was of consumers, but you can bet that some of those consumers surveyed are also employees (or even business owners!) who use computers and the Net and everything else that exposes them and their data to threats.

More than half had no idea what their browser's privacy settings are; 60 percent don't use privacy software period.

Nearly twenty percent couldn't tell you whether they've got firewalls up.

Just because you know what's running, updated and in place, inside your small or midsized business network, doesn't mean that your co-workers or employees -- a scary percentage of them, anyway -- aren't exposing you to substantial risk when they're away from your digital oversight.

Think about this next time someone from your company hits the road with work on their own notebook, or carries work home, or whatever.

The only solution -- or approach -- to this is to bring your employees up to speed on what securityware is, why it's vital, why updating is a constant responsibility on every machine your employees use (even if they say they don't use personal equipment for work: tell them to consider the lecture a public service.)

The complete Steganos survey and findings can be obtained by mailing Steganos

Tell 'em bMighty sent you.