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Most Web Users Unable to Spot Spyware 399

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @10:48PM from the masters-of-disguise dept.

Ben writes "According to a Spyware Quiz conducted by McAfee SiteAdvisor , a staggering 97% of Internet users are just one click away from infecting their PCs with spyware. One interesting conclusion from this study showed that even users with a high "Spyware IQ" have a nearly 100% chance of visiting a dangerous site during 30 days of typical online searching and browsing activity."

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Most Web Users Unable to Spot Spyware

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This looks like an interesting article (Score:5, Funny)

by TechnoGuyRob ( 926031 ) writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @10:53PM (#15209630) Homepage

*Click*

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Free pr0n yes! (Score:3, Funny)

by TheSpatulaOfLove ( 966301 ) writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @10:55PM (#15209637)

Free pr0n? Free laptop? Free Ipod? Yes!! *clikc*click*click*! 97% of internet users think free truly means free.

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Requires javascript. (Score:5, Funny)

by jZnat ( 793348 ) * writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @11:04PM (#15209670) Homepage Journal

Since the quiz requires JavaScript, and since I have that by default disabled, I think I passed the test.

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Re:My Score (Score:4, Funny)

by Frogbert ( 589961 ) writes: <{frogbert} {at} {gmail.com}> on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @11:07PM (#15209683)

I thought the site with active x spyware was a trick question. They clearly use Firefox and therefore don't suffer from such nonsense.

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Think of it as another way to advertise! (Score:3, Funny)

by Parallax Blue ( 836836 ) writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @11:14PM (#15209718)

Give users a cool, savvy looking test that makes them choose between two equally suspicious looking webpages, then reveal their horrible results. Oh no! But with SiteAdvisor, never fear... you'll have a handy site report to base your decisions off of!

Yes, easy to see what the purpose of this test REALLY is... promotion promotion promotion! I'd even point to the fact that this is on /. as an indicator it's a shameless plug for their product, except the majority of intelligent Slashdotters is hardly prone to falling for this.

Then again, what do I know? I got a 5 out of 8 on the quiz. Boy, am I a dumb intarweb user! Better go install that SiteAdvisor after all...

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ActiveX in Firefox? (Score:4, Funny)

by jonnythan ( 79727 ) writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @11:17PM (#15209730)

I love it.

McAfee claims that one of the lyrics sites has "delivered adware through ActiveX" via Firefox.

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Well, that's not too surprising, after all. (Score:5, Funny)

by ScrewMaster ( 602015 ) writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @11:28PM (#15209791)

Most Web Users Unable to Spot Spyware

Well, I guess that's why they call it spyware, don't they. I mean, what kind of spy would be easy to spot? Wouldn't be a very good spy, now would he.

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In other news... (Score:5, Funny)

by geobeck ( 924637 ) writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @11:33PM (#15209808) Homepage

Most web users are unable to tell what browser they are using. Or operating system, for that matter.

Support: What web browser are you using?
User: Microsoft Excel.
Support: Okay, what operating system are you using?
User: Um... Dell?

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irony (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @11:33PM (#15209813)

did they gather these results with spyware?

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Re:Not sure I agree with their methods (Score:5, Funny)

by ucblockhead ( 63650 ) writes: on Wednesday April 26, 2006 @11:51PM (#15209888) Homepage Journal

Exactly. It's like saying "One of these prostitutes as herpes and the other is clean! If you can't tell the difference, you need to buy one of our prostitute STD test kits before leaving the house or you WILL be infected!!!"

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Re:Completely impractical (Score:5, Funny)

by Dr Tall ( 685787 ) writes: on Thursday April 27, 2006 @12:32AM (#15210036) Journal

It is also not reasonable to say that people should know this stuff to use the www. Nonsense! Do you need to know the difference between a knit and purl stich to wear a sweater? Do you need to know what advance and retard are to drive a car? Why the hell should you know what a hosts file is to use the www?

Because sweaters and cars work just fine without knowing much about their inner workings, and computers don't. Maybe it would be nice if the www didn't require competent users, but unfortunately it does.

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Buy our software (Score:5, Funny)

by suv4x4 ( 956391 ) writes: on Thursday April 27, 2006 @12:41AM (#15210063)

1. We present you with a 32x32 pixel cropped screenshot from two sites. One of those contains dangerous spyware! Which one is it!

*click*

Ahahah, it's both you loser!

Now go buy our software.

2. Next question: what you see is 32 bytes from two EXE files. Which one of those installs adware?...

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Re:Firefox when secured.... (Score:3, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday April 27, 2006 @12:51AM (#15210102)

I came across a 7th grader...

I think she has a bigger problem than spyware, you perv.

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Re:Wait... (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday April 27, 2006 @01:21AM (#15210203)

> I've said it before and I'll say it again.

"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

(Moderators? Anyone? Bueller?)

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Re:Wait... (Score:3, Funny)

by masklinn ( 823351 ) writes: <slashdot.org@mCO ... t minus language> on Thursday April 27, 2006 @03:35AM (#15210565)

Virtual +5 insightful god damn it

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Re:How am I supposed to know? (Score:2, Funny)

by Kredal ( 566494 ) writes: on Thursday April 27, 2006 @04:07AM (#15210605) Homepage Journal

Step 1: don't follow your sig's advice. (:

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Re:Not sure I agree with their methods (Score:3, Funny)

by ArsenneLupin ( 766289 ) writes: on Thursday April 27, 2006 @07:32AM (#15210983)

Exactly. It's like saying "One of these prostitutes as herpes and the other is clean! If you can't tell the difference, you need to buy one of our prostitute STD test kits before leaving the house or you WILL be infected!!!"
Clean... That's a way to put it. The one that doesn't have herpes has AIDS!
(Yes, so their "safe" sites may actually also be infected. It just means that they haven't detected that malware or weren't looking for that type of malware...)

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Which of these [face shots] has an STD? (Score:5, Funny)

by gvc ( 167165 ) writes: on Thursday April 27, 2006 @08:30AM (#15211183)

In a recent study, a major condom manufacturer showed photos of men and women to internet users. Surprisingly, most people were not able to distinguish those with an STD from those without.

Conclusion: most internet users are in serious danger of contracting AIDS.

[note to moderators. this is a parody.]

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Re:Firefox when secured.... (Score:3, Funny)

by rbochan ( 827946 ) writes: on Thursday April 27, 2006 @09:36AM (#15211574) Homepage

...We wiped the machine with an industrial strength removal program...

fdisk?

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Re:Question 9 (Score:2, Funny)

by Country_hacker ( 639557 ) writes: <country.hacker@gmail.com> on Thursday April 27, 2006 @11:14AM (#15212445)

In all seriousness, how many web savvy people are going to the types of sites they depict? None.
Hah! How web savvy am I, I didn't even go to TFA!

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It's a naive, domestic operating system without any breeding, but I think you'll be amused by its presumption.