Press Releases

AVG Research Reveals Less than Half of Young Adults Password Protect Laptops and Mobile Devices

Company’s Second Study Shows US, UK, Australia Take Inadequate Security Measures to Safeguard Laptops for Social Networking

AMSTERDAM, September 23, 2010– AVG Technologies, makers of the world’s most popular free anti-virus software, today announced the second round of research from its new online campaign, to help university students battle Facebook status jacking this school year, which reveals that less than half (48%) of young adults (18-25 year olds) across the U.S., UK and Australia use passwords to protect their laptops and mobile devices when accessing social networks sites. AVG’s latest study was commissioned to highlight the dangers of ‘status jacking’—the practice of hijacking status updates on social networks—which is particularly prevalent amongst students and adults under 25 years old.

These findings show the degree to which young adults in all three countries secure the devices that they use to access social networks, including PCs or laptops, mobile devices and handhelds such as iPads.

AVG and Research Now surveyed over one thousand 18-25 year olds across the U.S., Australia, UK, Czech Republic and Japan in the first week of September, finding that:

• While most 18-25 year olds (78%) secure their laptops with a password, only 41 percent of young adults in the U.S. password protect their mobile devices. Amongst British young adults, 50 percent secure their mobile devices with a password, while in Australia just over half (54%) take this measure.
• An average of four out of ten young adults across the UK (42%) and Australia (42%) share their passwords with friends and family. In the US, the figure is over one in three (35%).
• Overall, young women take less security measures than young men. Forty-two percent of women under 25 share their passwords compared to 28 percent of men. Additionally, 81 percent of men under 25 years old password protect their laptops and PCs, however, a quarter (26%) of women do not take this security measure.
• Over one in ten young adults in Australia (15%) and the UK (12%) have accidentally downloaded a virus via a social network. In the UK the figure is nine percent.

“The fact that most young adults secure their laptops and PCs is positive news, but the most worrying statistic is that four in ten share their passwords, something we do not advise doing”, said Tony Anscombe, Ambassador of Free Products for AVG Technologies. “Sharing passwords can leave your social networks open to status jacking and leaves your other online accounts, such as banking, vulnerable to attack. You only have to walk away from your mobile for a few minutes for someone to access your email, download your contacts, and to masquerade as you on a social network.”

Status Jacking video

AVG developed a video featuring UK comedienne Holly Burns, which guides students and young adults through the dangers of status jacking in a light hearted, but informative, manner. The video is available to view at: http://free-product.blog.avg.com/2010/09/six-easy-steps-to-securing-your-facebooks-privacy-settings.html

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About AVG Technologies

www.avg.com

AVG is a global security software maker protecting more than 110 million consumers and small businesses in 167 countries from the ever-growing incidence of Web threats, viruses, spam, cyber-scams and hackers on the Internet. AVG has nearly two decades of experience in combating cyber crime and one of the most advanced laboratories for detecting, pre-empting and combating Web-borne threats from around the world. Its free, downloadable software allows novice users to have basic anti-virus protection and then easily upgrade to greater levels of safety and defense when they are ready. AVG has nearly 6,000 resellers, partners and distributors globally including Amazon.com, CNET, Cisco, Ingram Micro, Play.com, Wal-Mart, and Yahoo!

Source: www.avg.com/press-releases-news

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