Most Internet users can't tell the difference between legitimate popup warnings on their computer screens and fake ones designed to trick people into downloading malware, according to a new North Carolina State University study. And that's even when warned not to click on suspicious-looking popups.

"This study demonstrates how easy it is to fool people on the Web," said study co-author Michael Wogalter, professor of psychology at NC State, in a statement.Then again, he said he wasn't really sure how credible companies could come up with warnings that couldn't be duplicated by malware purveyors.

The study involved undergraduate students, with legitimate popup messages simulating Windows OS warnings and the bogus ones coming from an outside source. Some 63% of participants clicked on fake popups during the study.

The study, titled "Failure to Recognize Fake Internet Popup Warning Messages," was published in Proceedings of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

More must-reads from Bob Brown: * What "The Sopranos" taught me about technology (plus our Sopranos tech quiz) http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/091307-sopranos-technology.html http://www.networkworld.com/slideshows/2007/091307-sopranos-tech-quiz.html * Behind the scenes of MIT's network http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/011907-mit-your-take.html?page=1 * What makes Harvard's net tick http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/030606-harvard-net.html * The network industry's most colorful story ever http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/121806-network-industry-most-colorful-story.html