International. Malware, malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system, is one of the most common cyber threats faced by computer users today. While malware can affect any operating system, Windows users are among the most vulnerable.
According to data analyzed by the Atlas VPN team and according to Malwarebytes' State of Malware report, in 2020 alone, devices with Windows operating systems were affected by more than 111 million malware infections.
Of all Windows malware threats detected last year, 83% or nearly 92.3 million were found on consumer devices, while 15% or 16.7 million were discovered on commercial devices. The remaining 2% of malware cases were not specified.
Despite the impressive number of Windows malware detections in 2020, these threats were actually reduced by 12% compared to 2019.
Malware infections affecting consumer devices fell 11%, from 103.5 million in 2019 to 92.3 million in 2020. As workers shifted their corporate offices to home offices, enterprise device infections declined 24%, from 22 million in 2019 to 16.7 million in 2020.
The decline in malware infections could mean that cybercriminals have found other, more effective methods of exploiting victims online.
HackTool is the fastest growing malware threat
In 2020, we saw a drop in malware infections affecting Windows operating systems. However, despite an overall decline, certain types of malware thrived last year.
HackTool, a type of malware used by hackers to gain unauthorized access to a user's computer, experienced the largest increase in new cases detected in Windows last year compared to 2019. Infections with HackTool increased by 150%, from 7.4 million to 18.4 million in a single year.
Companies experienced the most significant increase in HackTool detections last year. In total, 2.6 million Windows HackTool infections were found on commercial devices in 2020, a 173% growth from 937.9 thousand cases in 2019.
Meanwhile, consumer devices were affected by 15.9 million HackTool infections last year. It represents a growth of 147% from the 6.4 million such cases in 2019.
Other types of malware that saw an increase last year include Rogue (117%) and Spyware (28%), which help criminals track and collect information about the victim.
However, the most common Windows malware threat last year was adware, software that displays unwanted ads on people's computers. It accounted for 32% or 35.5 million cases of Windows malware in 2020, a 22% drop from 45.7 million in 2019.
How to protect against malware
Malware is one of the most common threats. As such, it is easy to catch, while its repercussions can be devastating. However, there are a few things you can do that can help you protect your devices from malware.
- Keep your software up to date. The updated software contains the latest security patches, making it difficult for cybercriminals to exploit system vulnerabilities.
- Be careful with your downloads. Downloads are one of the main ways to spread malware. Therefore, before extracting a file from the Internet, always ask yourself two questions: do you really need it and trust the website or the person from whom you are about to download the file?
- Do not click on suspicious links. Never click on pop-ups and links that you're not sure about. They can lead to malicious websites that can install malware on your device.
- Limit file sharing. Beware of file-sharing sites, as they offer little protection against malware, which could be hidden in files, such as movies, games, and other programs.
- Use a VPN. Virtual private networks, such as Atlas VPN, have security features that block malicious ads and protect you from entering insecure websites. This way, you have less chance of charging for unwanted viruses while online.
