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Link to beSpacific blog.

From the press release:

• The majority of Internet users (83%) have heard of spyware, although the level of awareness is not as ubiquitous as spam (93%). Of those not familiar with the term, 81 percent have experienced at least one of its symptoms, such as pop-up ads or decreased computer performance.

• The more voters learn about spyware, the more it scares them. Without the benefit of a statement describing spyware, two-thirds of voters rated it a serious problem. When fully informed of the nature of spyware, nearly all voters (93%) considered it a serious problem.

• Not all software that operates in the background is perceived as harmful by Internet users. For example, 67 percent of Internet users think the benefits of automatic security updates outweigh the possible risks.

• More Internet users think small-time con artists and delinquent teenagers are the biggest threats to the safety of the Internet (45%) than enemy nations, organized crime and terrorist organizations (36%).

• Only 28 percent of voters think government is placing the right emphasis on protecting our information systems and networks, as opposed to 64 percent who think that government needs to make protecting our information systems a higher priority.

• Voters are much more likely to believe that privacy protection should be left to the U.S. Congress (60%) than to state legislatures (35%).

• Despite the call for a legislative solution, only 32 percent of voters trust the Congress to do what’s right for the Internet. On the other hand, 63 percent trust consumer groups like the Better Business Bureau.