Most computer users believe they are safe from online threats even as their machines fall victim to viruses and spyware, according to a survey released on Monday.
The survey of 329 computer users by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance found that many were more vulnerable than they thought.
While 77 percent of those surveyed said they thought their computers were well-protected, four out of five had spyware or adware programs running on their computer and nearly two-thirds said they had been infected by a virus.
Though 85 percent had anti-virus software on their computers, most had not updated that software in the past week - a necessary step to guard against viruses that can spread across the globe in a matter of days.
Two-thirds didn't have a firewall to protect against hackers, and 38 percent of wireless network users did not encrypt their networks.
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