Blame it on your brain: Researchers discover why we ignore PC security

    Blame it on your brain: Researchers discover why we ignore PC security

    Blame it on your brain: Researchers discover why we ignore PC security


    Posted: 23 Aug 2016

    Here's a twist for the thought processes!

    Blame it on your brain: Researchers discover why we ignore PC security warnings

    A new study by BYU researchers find that most users consistenly ignore pop-ups when they're busy doing something else.
    Credit: MIT News This is the reason so much security work goes on in the background, without your knowledge.

    By Mark Hachman

    PCWorld | Aug 22, 2016 12:13 PM PT


    If you’re the type of person who absolutely hates Microsoft’s practice of downloading and installing Windows 10 security updates late at night—well, new research says you have only yourself to blame.


    A study conducted by Brigham Young University in conjunction with Google found that 90 percent of all computer users ignore security warnings and other alerts, especially while we’re busy performing some other task. In fact, being interrupted actually results in lower neural activity, researchers found, after conducting MRI tests.


    Specifically, 74 percent of users ignored security messages that popped up while closing a web browser window, according to Jeff Jenkins, the lead author of the study. About 79 percent ignored messages if they were watching a video, the BYU team found. Finally, 87 percent ignore a pop-up if it came as they were concentrating on typing a confirmation code correctly.

    more
    Night Hawk's Avatar Posted By: Night Hawk
    23 Aug 2016


  1. Posts : 1,557
    W10 32 bit, XUbuntu 18.xx 64 bit
       #1

    Did they differentiate between a real security pop-up & a fake security pop-up in browsers? I never install those web shields from virus companies they just slow down your browsers. We also been told never to click on popups in browsers. The researchers are also not thinking. Let say its security patch that was released. The bug was still there before the patch. Waiting to patch a system tell after your done using it, shouldn't hurt a bit.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
    Thread Starter
       #2

    What they did miss in this report was 10's new Active Hours schedule you can set when the WU is set to auto where all updates will see a system restart after the active time you are on is over if not you yourself manually checking and clicking the restart button for an immediate update.

    The focus in this blog seems to reflect far more towards the older Windows when you would be prompted during a gaming session or other activity like video playback or other type of app to restart to see new updates applied. MS took that into consideration by seeing the new avoid while you are busy option type scheduling added in.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 53
    Windows 10 Edu
       #3

    Yeah, this is the reason why UAC has been an unmitigated failure since Windows Vista, and will continue to be. It's just another annoyance.

    It's FAR more effective to teach people what not to click on/what is fake/what to look for than annoy them with popups that more savvy users just disable anyway.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Do you want to know where the UAC is set here? Likely the same as where you have it at "never" all the way down to the bottom. That was the first thing tended to with each newer 10 Insider build when being run on the main as well as the updates. TH2 and now Redstone 1 Anniversary. Royal pain in the annoyance is what the UAC and other constant prompting generally is seen as being!
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 471
    Windows 10 Pro
       #5

    Well we have so many "pop ups" in our lives that a single "pop up" doesn't stand out anymore. Notifications here, new mails there, advertisements, warnings, reminders... Nowadays if you want to stand out you should probably remove any kind of notifications ;-)
    Last edited by altae; 26 Aug 2016 at 05:21.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
    Thread Starter
       #6

    When the exact same thing is constant eventually you will have to take notice! There's no way around that at all. Here the one remaining cable tv box that hasn't been swapped in for the latest to come along is now seeing constant notifications onscreen and now even automated phone calls about the need to upgrade one box?! Can get a bit tedious at times!

    For other notifications you now see a tab pop out on the lower right for each new thing. If your av needs an update that will be the message on that. If other updates are ready another pop out will appear as part of the system notification function in contrast to how 7 for example would see a small indicator pop up in the System tray area that could be easily missed or simply disappears too fast to catch at times and then ends up being ignored. "No worry that will popup again" would be the shrug of the shoulders by most.
      My Computers


 

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