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The truth about the threat

Posted on 13 Aug 2008 at 11:33

Still, industry experts agree that alarmism is unwarranted. "I would shy away from discouraging people from using any security measure," Lee continues, "but I don't believe people should be operating with a tremendous fear of being compromised."

"Do you really want to tell people to beware of going to any website?" asks David Emms. "In this day and age, that would be crazy. And if we're not realistic as an industry then we do people a disservice, because they go away thinking this is all hype, and that there's no need to bother with internet security.

"I do web banking and online shopping. Am I at risk? I am, compared with using the telephone. But it isn't a foregone conclusion that you're going to be hit, any more than people expect an accident when they get into a car. Nevertheless, I wear a seatbelt, and I make sure that I'm covered in terms of insurance. Online, you can mitigate the risks by using internet security."

Overall risk rating: MEDIUM

There's no denying that the threat is real. There's plenty of malware out there, along with a whole host of other online dangers, and they're constantly looking for new ways to catch you with your guard down. But there's no need for paranoia - so long as you keep your system patched, surf sensibly and take appropriate security precautions.

Is the virus threat real?

Author: Darien Graham-Smith