No phishing

In survey results released Wedenesday, Pew/Internet claims nine out of ten Internet users have changed their online behavior in response to the threat of Spyware and unwanted applications surreptitiously downloaded onto their computers.

In reporting the news release, Reuters writes:

The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that an overwhelming majority of Internet users have stopped opening questionable e-mail attachments, or taken other steps to avoid a plague of stealthy, unwanted programs that can disable computers or secretly monitor online activity.

Nearly half said they have stopped visiting particular Web sites that they suspect may deposit unwanted programs on their computers, while 25 percent say they have stopped downloading music or movies from "peer to peer" networks that may harbor spyware.

In a related memo released in April, Pew/Internet had found that "email users get more spam, but the harmful impact of unsolicited messages is diminishing for them. More than a third of email users have gotten phishing solicitations."

Survey: Spam and Phishing (PDF, 400K))

Spyware: The threat of unwanted software programs is changing the way people use the internet (PDF, 112K)

(both available in PDF from Pew/Internet & American Life Project)