‘Triple-threat’ shield protects computer

Having a triple-threat combination of protective software on your computer greatly reduces your chances of identity theft. In a survey of more than 600 people, researchers found that computer users who were running antivirus, anti-adware, and anti-spyware software were 50 percent less likely to have their credit card information stolen. “When you think about antivirus software protecting you, you might think about it keeping your files safe and not losing your music and photos,” says Thomas Holt, associate professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University and lead researcher on the project. “The important thing we’re finding here is that it’s not just about protecting your files, but also about protecting you economically—about reducing your chances of being a victim of identity theft.” According to the study that is published in the journal Deviant Behavior, about 15 percent of respondents say they have experienced computer-related identity theft in the past year. Males were more likely to be victims. “We’re not sure what this might be a consequence of,” Holt says. “Is it that males are less careful about what they do online? Is it a difference in how they shop online or conduct online commerce?” Those who engaged in “computer-related deviance”—such as downloading pirated music or pornographic images—were more likely to be victims of identity theft. Such activity puts users at risk because pirated movies and music may contain malware, Holt says. The most practical news for computer users was the combined protective factor of the antivirus, anti-spyware, and anti-adware software, each of which has a different function for keeping a computer safe, Holt says. Antivirus software detects and removes malicious software programs such as viruses and worms that can corrupt a computer, delete data and spread to other computers. Anti-spyware and anti-adware programs are designed to protect against software that either self-installs without the user’s knowledge or is installed by the user and enables information to be gathered covertly about a person’s Internet use, passwords and so on, Holt says. “You have a much better chance of not getting your credit card number stolen if you have all three forms of protective software.” Michael Turner, associate professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, is a co-investigator on the study.