Spyware fears changing browser and shopping habits

Consumers are changing the way they behave online because of the growing tide of spyware and viruses, a new study has found.

A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows the vast majority of US internet users - 81 per cent - are dodging viruses by no longer opening email attachments from people they don't know, while 48 per cent are avoiding websites they think might infect them with malware.

The report also found that some 18 per cent of users claim to have changed their browser as a security precaution, while 25 per cent claimed to have stopped downloading from peer-to-peer networks.

According to the project, such changes are coming about as individuals learn the hard way: almost half of those interviewed had been infected by spyware or adware.

The report added that figure is likely to be on the low side as many people may not be tech-savvy enough to know if they have been infected. "This is probably a conservative estimate since this survey may have been the first time that respondents had heard definitions of the programs," the report said.

A large percentage of respondents also complained of malware-like problems, such as PC slow-downs, systems freezes and crashes, or programs turning up on users' computers without the user actively installing them.

Most individuals didn't know where such problems came from, however, but were more willing to point the finger at a relative's downloading habits rather than malware or adware.

"Family members are often accused by one another of downloading materials that lead to computer problems. For example, respondents mentioned a cousin who downloaded porn, a son who 'filled the computer with a lot of junk', and multiple citations of children's downloading activities," the report said.

Unsurprisingly, visiting porn websites, file-sharing and downloading screensavers were among the behaviours found to increase the likelihood of landing a surfer with PC nasties.