The study revealed that over two-thirds of US internet users had received scam e-mails without being able to identify them as such. The inability to recognize such emails puts consumers at greater risk, particularly from phishing attacks aimed at identity theft which are thought to affect one in four Americans every month.
Although the research found that more than three-quarters of respondents use their home computers for sensitive transactions, more than 81% of users were lacking one or more of the three crucial components of online security updated computer virus software, spyware protection, and a secure firewall.
Consumers need to be aware of the risk, and they need to use critical protections like anti-virus software, spyware protection, and a firewall to help protect them from online threats, stated, Tatiana Platt, senior vice president and chief trust officer for AOL.
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