Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Report volume 11 reports that 99 percent of all malware attacks were caused by social engineering and AutoRun vulnerabilities.

This explains why companies like Web Listings Inc. are careful on this count. The report says that that social-engineering techniques can be blamed for 45 percent of all malware distribution in the first half of 2011. More than a third of malware distribution in the same period were spread through Win32/Autorun feature that starts programmes automatically as soon as external media is inserted into a PC.

Microsoft also took several steps to protect its customers. This includes releasing an automatic update for Windows XP and Windows Vista platforms, thus making the AutoRun feature more secure. From the users' perspective, it's always safe to have updated versions of anti-spyware and anti-virus programmes installed on their PCs.