Four million regular Internet users in SA, of which a large portion would be small businesses and home users, are unknowingly exposed to computer viruses, a local security solutions distributor estimates.
Home users and small businesses do not have the benefits of large corporations, such as in-house security experts and systems, says local BitDefender distributor Grayford Holton.
Users are often left vulnerable because they have no idea what they are supposed to be protecting themselves against, he argues. "Users are introduced to terms like 'phishing`, 'rogue dialler`, 'Trojan` and 'spyware` and most of the time have no idea what the industry is referring to."
The economic impact of virus attacks on small businesses and home users could be severe, he says.
"Viruses are a major economic issue. This is not only in terms of downtime, but also the cost of getting expert assistance," Holton says.
The choice of an anti-virus product is often taken out of the user`s hands because there is a trial version of the software on the computer when bought, according to Holton. Or, he says, customers are influenced by ISPs or dealers who encourage free anti-virus or spyware downloads.
"If only e-mail is used, never the Internet, the protection from the ISP and a free anti-virus system will suffice. This assumption presupposes the ISP uses a reputable anti-virus system that gets updates to the latest viruses promptly," he says.
"If, however, the Internet is utilised, then an anti-virus system is essential. A home user or small business would normally rely on a dealer or a computer shop for advice as to which product to choose. One needs to remember that dealers or computer shops cannot give the same, qualified advice on 500 to 1 000 different products. So usually, the best-known product, not necessarily the best product, is recommended."
Holton recommends users get independent product reviews from the Internet. They can test these products by downloading a free 30-day trial or find a "scan online" facility to get their computer scanned.
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