Tech Stream

Hackers love netbooks

4 March 2009

Or so goes the story on ABC news online. Reuters reports that the increase in sales for netbooks could make them attractive targets for the bad guys.  It seems that users are either disabling the security features to boost performance or are just not aware that they need to protect themselves when accessing public wi-fi and vulnerable networks. The lack of suitable anti-virus and firewall software is the main concern. However Eric Ashdown, senior director for security strategy and risk management at Accenture, suggests that the most hackers would find on these casual-use devices is family photos.

Most PC makers now offer some kind of netbook, which have small screens and limited functionality. They are designed to be used for on-the-go to access to the internet, either through wireless or mobile networks. Netbooks are extremely popular, due to their low price and portability. The ABC story reports that “netbook shipments will more than double to nearly 21 million units this year, compared with about 4 per cent growth to 305 million units for all PCs”.

The full story is on ABC News Online.