Cyber Crime Feared More Than Burglary, Study Suggests

AVG Technologies this week released the results of its own research study that showed U.S. citizens are more concerned about being the victims of cyber crime than burglary or assault.

Of the 1,000 PC users surveyed in March 2008 57 percent felt that they will most likely be the victims of cyber crime with only 21 percent believing they will be victims of burglary.

These results can be linked to two key behavioral trends:

• Very high use of the Internet for increasingly sensitive transactions:
  • 74 percent of users shop online
  • 67 percent of users bank online
  • 63 percent of users pay bills online

• Low levels of protection with high concerns for cyber-related crime:
  • 15 percent of users surveyed didn't know when security software was installed on their computers
  • 91 percent of users agreed that cyber theft is certainly a concern

While 57 percent of users surveyed said they would most likely be the victims of cyber crime/theft, 73 percent felt confident that they were being protected by their Internet security provider.

"It's clear that we still have a considerable amount of work to do to protect computer users against cybercrime," says AVG Technologies CEO J.R. Smith. "In the space of a few years, the nature of the threat has changed from a sport to professional criminal activity. The challenge for us now is to deliver security with a light touch that does not stifle innovation.

"Securing the Web, by its very nature, should be a collaborative undertaking. That's why AVG's threat research incorporates user input as a core component, fostering an environment in which users cooperate with researchers to ensure the protection of all."