Surprise! Most consumers don't know the difference between a firewall and antivirus software

As if you couldn't figure this out on your own, the vast majority of consumers are ignorant about how to keep their computers secure. A study funded by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance sent technicians to 329 homes to inspect computers, and discovered, for example, that nearly 90 percent of the users had no inkling that their systems were plagued by spyware.

According to Dan Caprio, deputy assistant secretary for technology policy at the U.S. Department of Commerce, "Protecting the safety of our technology infrastructure means protecting the computers of individual Americans...This study highlights just how important it is for individual Americans to take their cybersecurity seriously, not just as a matter of personal safety, but as a matter of our country's security as well."

I don't expect that the 90 percent of people who didn't know they had spyware are going become tech savvy any time soon. Consumers