Atlanta Is Nation's Most "Wired" City

Internet security firm Trend Micro has named Atlanta the country's most wired city. Atlanta also ranked fourth in the nation for number of wi-fi hotspots, with more than 975 locations in the metro area to surf the Internet.

The study, which surveyed over 500 Atlanta residents on their Internet usage habits and attitudes towards cyber-surfing safety, found that very few of them are taking advantage of available wi-fi in the city. While all survey participants responded that they use the Internet on a regular basis, 82 percent said they don't take advantage of wi-fi. Further proof that the desktop is falling behind the laptop, 60 percent of those surveyed said they exclusively use a notebook computer.

The study also found that 52 percent of Atlantans surveyed think viruses are a major threat to their computers. Those participating in what would normally be considered risky online activities (such as browsing Web sites, making online purchases, visiting social networking sites and banking online) are more concerned with viruses even though they are more easily preventable than Web threats. While viruses can cause great inconveniences, cybercriminals have created an underground malware economy that costs companies and consumers millions of dollars each year through identity and data theft.

With a comprehensive Internet security product, most online activities can be relatively safe. Trend Micro offers the following tips in looking for the right consumer security product:

-- Make sure the security product offers a strong protection against Web threats such as bots, Trojans, Web downloaders and keyloggers, any of which can lead to identity and data theft.

-- Look for an anti-spyware feature that is designed to remove adware and spyware that marketing and advertising companies dump on computers to covertly spy on surfing habits and collect market data. These programs can also slow down computer performance.

-- A security product should also have firewall capabilities -- a cyber-barrier that keeps destructive elements and intrusions away from the network. It inspects all network traffic passing through the system, guarding it from viruses, hackers, spam and other Internet threats.

-- Viruses can still do damage so a product should also have an antivirus feature that's consistently updated. Viruses are constantly mutating and the only way to protect a computer is with an up-to-date antivirus software program.

"Atlanta residents have a great opportunity to safely use the Internet from a variety of public locations and can take more advantage of it," said Carol Carpenter, vice-president of consumer marketing at Trend Micro. "The proper security protection against viruses and Web threats will help everyone, including Atlantans, confidently utilize their city's wi-fi offerings."

Trend Micro is launching a campaign in Atlanta with billboard and radio spots about how to surf more safely and will host a three-day event at Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta starting July 23 to teach Internet and computer safety to kids. More information is available at www.imagineit-cma.org.