With every keystroke, computer hackers try to work their way into your computer.
But not if Robert LaRose and Nora Rifon, two MSU professors, can help it.
Last year, the duo conducted a national survey of 557 home Internet users. The National Science Foundation sponsored the project, which had alarming results.
Only about one in 10 users surveyed is confident that he or she can safely surf the Web.
"There's a widespread problem," said LaRose, a telecommunication, information studies and media professor.
"There are a lot of automatic protections available through software companies and Internet service providers, but they aren't totally protective."
When users open unexpected e-mail attachments, click on pop-up advertisements or download files from Web sites, they provide opportunities for hackers and other computer criminals.
LaRose said phishing — e-mails that impersonate someone users know or trust — is one of the biggest problems Internet security companies face.
"All financial institutions are victimized," he said. "They say, 'There's been a security breach at our bank, go to the Web site so we can get information to catch the criminals,' but it's operated by the criminals."
To counterattack these potentially devastating tactics , university officials are creating a campaign to inform the MSU community about risks.
"In a given day, many thousands of potential attacks are detected and prevented from attacking (MSU's) system," said Rich Wiggins, senior information technologist for Academic Computing & Network Services. "We urge everyone to turn on a personal firewall, to run current antivirus software and to be on guard."
Resources are available on campus that can help users disinfect or repair computers, as well as reinstall software. About 50,000 computers at MSU are connected to the Internet every day.
"Clearly, there is a need for continuing user education," said Rifon, an advertising, public relations and retailing professor, in a press release. "Online safety should be a required part of every computer literacy course."
Users need to learn about potential online threats, LaRose said.
"Computer scientists are coming up with new protection, but then the bad guys come out with things that deceive those," he said. "We're trying to push the necessity aside from automatic protection but want user education to continue. Take responsibility for your own security."
For more information about the survey and its results, visit the Web site www.msu.edu/~isafety.
