Protect yourself online: How GeekSpeak can save you money.

According to a recent AOL study, most internet users are confused by GeekSpeak or "internet slang"; so confused that they're leaving themselves vulnerable to scammers.

Such "geek speak" includes terms like "Trojan", "spam", "spyware", and "phishing".

Contrary to belief a "Trojan Horse" is not a Greek animal, but instead is a program that hides on your pc. Such programs can be used to steal your personal information, send out emails, or even allow an attacker to have full control over your computer.

Sadly, less than ½ of all internet users have ever heard of a Trojan, and have no idea how to protect themselves.

While it's shown that 76% of email users complain about junk email a surprising 14% didn't know what spam meant, let alone weren't aware of the many spam blocking tools available on the web.

Perhaps the largest growing trend on the internet is "phishing", or scamming people into giving up their bank account information, credit card numbers, and passwords. Phishers send emails that look and sound authentic, but link to fake look-alike websites designed to steal your information. The use of such websites is also called "pharming".

This study provides us with one glaring conclusion: if internet users can't understand the current lingo, then they can't adequately defend themselves from online threats. It is absolutely imperative that all internet users remain up to date on current internet slang and acronyms. After all, you can't defend yourself against threats you're unaware of.