The facts and figures of this article were pretty shocking in regards to the amount of malicious software that is installed on people’s computers (the majority of it being spyware, which can steal information in real-time). Even with the malicious software installed, people are still willing to make online purchases, which is incredibly dangerous to say in the least. Have a look at these figures yourself:

Consumers are determined to avoid the high street stampede this Christmas by shopping online, despite a spate of recent security attacks, according to research from security vendor Kaspersky Lab.

The survey says 85 per cent of respondents plan to buy some of their Christmas presents from online shopping sites – and one-third plan to do so despite claiming that their PC has been compromised by a hacking attack in the last six months.

David Emm, senior technology consultant, Kaspersky Lab, said: ‘Hackers will be very aware that more online transactions are conducted in the run up to Christmas than at any other time of the year, and that huge numbers of people are disclosing their personal details online. Unfortunately, this makes it hunting season for hackers.’[more]

Tags: Malware, Identity Theft