Most home computers are infected with so many spyware programs surreptitiously monitoring online activities, it's enough to make your skin crawl.

It's also enough to raise concerns about national security, says the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) which conducted a Homeland Security Department- and Federal Trade Commission-backed study of 329 Internet-accessing computer users and found that 80 percent of their computers were infected with spyware which also slows down a computer's operating system. In one case more than 1,000 spyware components were found on a single machine.

"Using viruses, remote attacks, and drone machines, a single attacker could mobilize thousands of compromised computers from unsuspecting users. This study highlights just how important it is for individual Americans to take their cyber-security seriously, not just as a matter of personal safety, but as a matter of our country's security as well," said Dan Caprio, Chief Privacy Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Scary stuff, but it gets worse.

In the joint study with America Online (AOL) the "AOL/NCSA Online Safety Study" found that while 77 percent of home computer users think they are safe online, 88 percent of those with computers infected with spyware didn't know it; 20 percent of computers are housing a virus; 67 percent lack current anti-virus software and almost half, 49 percent of broadband users did not have firewall protection.

Despite their vulnerability due to their security lapses, most online users keep sensitive personal and financial information on their computers, the study found. "No consumer would walk down the street waving a stack of cash or leave their wallet sitting in a public place, but far too many are doing the exact same thing online," said Tatiana Gau, AOL's Chief Trust Officer and Senior Vice President for Integrity Assurance.

"Without basic protections like anti-virus, spyware protection and a firewall, consumers are leaving their personal and financial information at risk," he added.

NCSA, which provides a host of home and business computer security information -- including free security alerts -- is a not-for-profit, public-private partnership focused on cyber security. Members include AOL, Microsoft, eBay, Dell, and other computer industry giants, along with Homeland Security and FTC sponsorships.

The study included in-person interviews and, using off-the-shelf software anyone can buy, technical analyses of users computers that access the Net with both dial-up and broadband technology in more than 22 cities across the nation.

The computers were examined for firewall settings, anti-virus software, potential virus infections, spyware and other conditions.

Among the findings:

• One in seven users (15 percent) has no anti-virus software at all on their computer.

• When it comes to spyware, the average infected user has 93 spyware or adware components on their computer, and the most components found on a single computer during the scan was 1,059. Of those infected, 89 percent were unaware of the infection.

• Almost all (90 percent) of those infected with spyware said they didn't know what the programs are or what they do.

• Along with most (67 percent) computer users who do not have any firewall protection, 38 percent of wireless network users leave their connection completely open without proper encryption protection.

• The majority of respondents (84 percent) said they keep sensitive information like health or financial records on their home computer and 72 percent of them use their home computer for sensitive online transactions like banking or reviewing personal medical information.

The NCSA offers a host of tips to stay safe and protect your data online.

Heed them.

Sign up for the security alerts.

Published: October 28, 2004

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Broderick Perkins parlayed a career in old-school journalism into a contemporary digital news service that really hits home. The award-winning consumer journalist, originally from Wilmington, DE, is founder, publisher and executive editor of the bootstrap DeadlineNews Group, a Silicon Valley-based editorial content and consulting service specializing in residential real estate, consumer news and related editorial consulting services. The DeadlineNews Group includes the Web site, DeadlineNews.Com, offering real estate editorial content and consulting services, and its back shop, the Deadline Newsroom, an open house on news that really hits home. Perkins obtained his formal journalism education from University of Delaware and a journalism boot camp, the Institute of Journalism Education at the University of California-Berkeley. He went on to 20 years of service as a daily newspaper journalist at the Wilmington, DE News Journal and San Jose, CA Mercury News. Perkins covered housing on the San Jose Mercury News reporting team which earned a General News Reporting Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. He has also produced real estate, consumer and small business content for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, RealtyTimes.com, Nolo.com, Better Homes and Gardens, the National Association of Realtors, Homestore/Move and Intuit/Quicken among more than three dozen publications. In addition to managing the DeadlineNews Group, Perkins most recently served as chief editorial consultant for "Nolo's Essential Guide To Buying Your First Home" (Nolo $24.99) and writes real estate television scripts for RealtyTimes.com.