Malware and harmful software



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Research objectives


This research sought to identify:

the proportion of adult Australians who participate in online banking, shopping, paying bills and online social networking activities, and the devices typically used for these purposes

general perceptions of adult Australians who use the internet for personal purposes about the likelihood of experiencing malware infections

methods used to protect internet-enabled home computers from harmful software and viruses, and reasons for not using protections

the extent to which adult Australians believe their mobile phones and mobile computer devices are protected from harmful software, and their reasons for believing this

the views of adult Australian internet users on who is responsible for protecting personal computers and mobile devices against harmful software.



Research methodology


A nationally representative telephone survey of 1,500 Australians aged 18 years and over, comprising 1,207 household respondents with fixed-line phones and 293 mobile only phone users, was undertaken by Roy Morgan Research between 17 and 30 July 2012. A full description of the survey research methodology is provided at the end of this report (Appendix A).
Four focus group discussions were also conducted after the survey between 16 and 18 August 2012 to provide depth and richness to the national survey results. Two groups were conducted in Melbourne and two on the Sunshine Coast with eight to 10 participants in each group. Each group was mixed gender with two groups comprising people aged 18–34 years and two groups with people aged 35 years and over.

Interpretation of findings


Significance testing at the 95 per cent confidence level has been applied to findings from the survey research. Specifically, significance testing throughout this report has been used to compare whether there is a reliable difference that is unlikely to be due to chance between each individual group or segment and the total group (for example, for gender, age, income).
In some cases, the report discusses differences that are not statistically significant where there is evidence of a consistent pattern of reported attitudes or behaviour.
The reader may notice some discrepancies between the sums of the component items and totals. This may occur due to the effects of rounding or exclusion of ‘don’t know’ responses.

Background information


The ACMA is an independent statutory authority responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, the internet, radiocommunications and telecommunications in Australia. The strategic intent of the ACMA is to make communications and media work in Australia’s public interest.
To help the ACMA understand how changes in the communications and media environment affect regulatory settings, and the role of citizens and industry in Australia’s developing networked society and information economy, we run a comprehensive program called researchacma.
The ACMA has developed a three-year researchacma overview that explains how external drivers, environmental pressures, the policy environment and internal business needs determine our annual research priorities. But at the heart of our strategic vision are five broad research areas that remain relatively constant:

This report on malware contributes to the ACMA’s research theme on social and economic participation, which is directed to identifying the regulatory settings and interventions to assist citizens in protecting their personal information and digital data in an information economy.



The Australian Internet Security Initiative


The AISI is a voluntary program administered by the ACMA that provides participating internet providers—mainly ISPs and universities—with reports on compromised computers and other internet-connected devices. These reports are derived from data that the AISI collects from various sources on computers and other devices on the Australian internet that exhibit behaviour consistent with a malware infection. Data in the AISI reports cannot be used to identify individual users.
The reports help AISI participants identify their customers who may have a computer or other device that is compromised by malware. Many AISI participants notify affected customers of compromises and provide assistance to resolve problems as necessary. The AISI assists internet providers to contribute to the reduction of spam, malware and other cybersecurity compromises.
Industry participants receive ‘daily’ reports of compromises that have been detected on IP addresses on their networks. They also receive weekly ‘repeated sightings’ reports that identify recurring compromises.
The AISI program has 134 participating members, including 118 internet providers and 16 universities. These providers are estimated to cover more than 95 per cent of Australian residential internet users.
More information on the ACMA’s AISI program is available at www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Internet/e-Security/Australian-Internet-Security-Initiative.

Other relevant ACMA research


The report The Australian Internet Security Initiative: Provider responses to security-compromised computers presents results from telephone interviews with 24 AISI participants conducted by the ACMA in late 2011 and early 2012. Interviews were conducted to understand how internet providers use and act on the AISI compromised computer reports to assist customers who are affected by malware.
The research was conducted to understand the views of AISI participants about the operation of the AISI and how it might be improved. The report of this research is available at http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/Library/researchacma/Digital-society-research/the-aisiprovider-responses-to-securitycompromised-computers-acma.



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