In 2021, cybersecurity expert Kaspersky discovered about 380,000 new malicious files worldwide every day. That means less than 20,000 additional cases are being registered every day compared to 2020, he announced on Wednesday, December 15th.
Of all these cyber attacks, Kaspersky mentions that Windows PCs were the main target, because nine out of ten malicious files (91%) targeted this operating system, which is widely installed on computers worldwide. Linux PCs are also the most vulnerable, with attacks on them increasing by 57%.
Among the preferred attacks by cybercriminals, computer worms, “autonomously copying and spreading after entering the computer,” experienced a significant increase of 117.5% compared to 2020, with Kaspersky estimating that worms “now represent 9% of attacks.” Moreover, like their health care counterparts, computer viruses are stubborn and their activity has grown from 27% to 10% of attacks.
Trojans are still popular
Of all the threats detected, 54% of Trojans are particularly appreciated by phishers, whose phishing involves clicking on a link to steal data or downloading a malicious file without your knowledge and taking care of it. With the intention of going and gathering information or even fitting ransomware.
“We are not surprised: online functionality is even more important due to the use of telecommunications around the world. In addition, the transition to working in the cloud refers to more connected devices. This large attack surface logically leads to greater exposure to threats,” Kaspersky’s security expert Denise Stafforkin analyzed in the report.
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