Nine percent UK internet surfers do not use any security software

Latest survey conducted by the PC Tools shows that 9% of UK internet users do not use any internet security software when they go online while one-thirds of them never update their internet security tools like anti-virus or anti-spyware software.

Comparing to UK, only 5 % of the surfers in Germany and France also do not use security software. In Germany, five percent did not update their security software while it was 7% in France.

The study also showed that women were better than men when creating passwords to protect their accounts. Using the same password for all accounts was more common with men as 47% of the men questioned admitted this habit. Comparing to this, only one-fourths (26%) of women used the same password to access many websites.

Most internet users are generally aware of the security risks when going online, the study reported. However, not many take the required precautions at a time when internet security threats are becoming so complex, the report further pointed out.

Michael Green, Vice President of product strategy at PC Tools says:

“As cybercriminals adopt more sophisticated methods to trick users into downloading malicious files or clicking on malicious links, consumers need to be aware that even the most technical are at risk of infection.”

“Risks can vary from high-profile attacks like the Koobface virus to downloads of movies that haven’t been released, videos or links that appear to be sent from friends, or false and malicious URLs posted on Twitter, for example.”