Why Educate on Cyber Security?

More than ever before, it is important that individual constituents be aware of Cyber Security issues. Spam has grown to constitute more than half of all e-mail received by Americans, and more often than in the past, these bulk e-mails represent a security threat. Many spammers now pose as legitimate e-commerce companies and attempt to fool computer users into divulging personal information, while other malicious spam often includes viruses, worms, or other malicious software, such as spyware or annoyware.

Notably, too, computer hacking is increasingly becoming the domain of crooks seeking economic gain from their efforts. Since early 2003, infectious programs have begun to saturate the Internet, entering computers through security holes and turning them into "zombies" ‹ mostly in homes, at small businesses and on college campuses. Cyber crooks in control of the infectious programs then marshal a network of "zombie" computers to send spam and help commit crimes online.

Most security breaches can be prevented if users simply update their anti-virus and anti-spyware software. The following stats illustrate the acute need for education.

• Although 86 percent of broadband users said they keep sensitive health, financial or personal information on their home computers, only 11 percent said they have safe and securely configured systems. (National Cyber Security Alliance)
While 76 percent of consumers have anti-virus software on their computers, only half of that group has updated their software in the past month. (NCSA)
• A typical unprotected PC will come under some sort of attack within 20 minutes of connecting to the internet, from e-mail- or Web-borne threats, including viruses, worms, browser hijackers, and increasingly aggressive spyware. (Internet Storm Center)
• 57 million U.S. adults believe they have received a "phishing" email. More than 90 percent of the phishing emails were sent in the past year, and 1.78 million of the 11 million users who clicked on the emails' links to "spoof sites" remember entering confidential personal and financial data, such as bank account or credit card numbers. (Gartner, Inc.)

Help your constituents stay ahead of Cyber Security threats, and keep us all safer. For more information, check out http://netcaucus.org/constituents.