Users Rejecting Security Advice Considered Rational

WeeBit writes "Researchers have different ideas as to why people fail to use security measures. Some feel that regardless of what happens, users will only do the minimum required. Others believe security tasks are rejected because users consider them to be a pain. A third group maintains user education is not working. [Microsoft Research's Cormac] Herley offers a different viewpoint. He contends that user rejection of security advice is based entirely on the economics of the process." Here is Dr. Herley's paper, So Long, And No Thanks for the Externalities: The Rational Rejection of Security Advice by Users (PDF).

Comments

Re:Wasted time

[PakProtector]

eaten CPU cycles,

Sorry, what's that? Can you speak a little louder? I can't hear you over the sound of all the wasted cycles my Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition is generating. It's a lot.

Re:Wasted time

[Ethanol-fueled]

Yeah, but...can it run Norton 360 4.0 without dropping any frames?

Windows Joke

[Anonymous Coward]

Why do Employees like Microsoft Windows?
Employees like Microsoft Windows because they can have an excuse to be by the water cooler while the Technician re-installs their OS for them.

Why do Managers like Windows?
Windows allowed them to have the latest and greatest in computer hardware, largest hard drive, most memory, fastest CPU, and other new hardware. With all this no Employee could remote login to their system and slow down the Screen Saver. Because the Manager wanted to find out if the Cast-away escaped from the island.

Re:Windows Joke

[Anonymous Coward]

Why do Employees like Microsoft Windows? Employees like Microsoft Windows because they can have an excuse to be by the water cooler while the Technician re-installs their OS for them.

Why do Managers like Windows? Windows allowed them to have the latest and greatest in computer hardware, largest hard drive, most memory, fastest CPU, and other new hardware. With all this no Employee could remote login to their system and slow down the Screen Saver. Because the Manager wanted to find out if the Cast-away escaped from the island.

1992 called. It doesn't want these jokes back, and says you can keep them.

Re:Windows Joke

[flappinbooger]

The other day the sarcastic side of me was wishing I could send a thank-you card to russia and/or china and/or the koobface gang. The rogue security tools are great for business.

Then, perhaps a fruit basket to the Symantec gang for producing completely useless and overpriced crap software that overly trusting people rely on.

carry on!

No, really, I am all about helping people and fixing their computers as effectively and quickly as possible, but.... wow.... just wow.

the real reason

[Anonymous Coward]

People reject security advice because everybody knows at least one poor sucker that is tech-savvy and can fix there FUBAR system. That person may do it grudgingly, may b*tch the entire time, but they'll still do it. Not only that, they'll do it for free. Sound familiar?

Re:Yeah

[sakdoctor]

I conclude that most idiots are people.

Re:Wasted time

[Shadow of Eternity]

Find a torrent that DOESNT have about a 50/50 to 60/40 split of "VIRUS!!111" and "AWESOME!!11" posts.

Re:Want security? Buy a Mac

[WillAffleckUW]

A Mac is basically BSD.

I stand by my original post.

What's up with /. Headlines?

[AlgorithMan]

Users Rejecting Security Advice Considered Rational

noun gerund noun noun gerund adjective - WTF!?
is sentence structure really that hard? how about

Users reject security advice, that are considered rational

?
What is up with /. headlines? lately you see lots like this one. It looks like someone had thrown a dictionary into a blender...

Its not that, baby ...

[PPH]

I just can't feel the 'Net if I'm using protection.