8 October 2008
Broadband users struggle to distinguish between fake pop-ups and genuine warning messages, leaving them open to cyber crime. This is the conclusion of a new study by researchers at North Carolina State University, which revealed that the majority of broadband users simply click OK to pop-ups. If the message is fake, doing so could allow criminals to install harmful spyware or viruses onto the user's computer. In the study, which tested the reactions of a group of undergraduates to pop-up warning messages, participants were unable to spot fake pop-ups 63% of the time. Michael Wogalter, Professor of Psychology at North Carolina State University, told the BBC: "This study demonstrates how easy it is to fool people on the web." According to experts at First Cyber Security, the credit crunch is likely to fuel an increase in cyber crime targeted at internet banking users. They urged consumers to be vigilant and to report any suspicious emails to their bank.