An AOL UK user survey found that most Brits don’t understand tech terms such as phishing, rogue dialer, Trojan and spyware. Although the “Do You Speak Geek?” report didn’t poll U.S. users, it’s probably not a stretch to think the results could be similar over here.
- 84% didn’t know what “phishing” meant.
- 25% said they knew what “spyware” was, yet “one in 10 of those thought it was a computer program that kept an eye on unfaithful partners.”
- Only 39% knew what “Trojan” meant.
- Astonishingly, 16% had never heard “spam” used to describe unsolicited e-mail.
“If Internet users can’t understand the language used to describe these risks, they are going to find it hard to protect themselves from being ripped off,” AOL “net security expert” Will Smith told the BBC.
Via BBC News
