Devices with Windows operating systems were affected by over 111-million malware infections during 2020, according to data analysed by the Atlas VPN team.
Out of all of the 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 business devices. The remaining 2% of the malware cases were unspecified.
Despite the impressive number of Windows malware detections in 2020, such threats actually dropped by 12% compared to 2019.
According to Rachel Welch, chief operating officer of Atlas VPN: “The decline in Windows malware infections might signify that cybercriminals have found other more effective methods to exploit victims online.”
In 2020, there was a fall in malware infections affecting Windows operating systems. However, despite a general 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, saw the biggest increase in new cases detected on Windows last year when compared to 2019. Infections with HackTool spiked by 150%, from 7,4-million to 18,4-million in a single year.
Other malware types that saw a surge last year include Rogue (117%) and Spyware (28%), which help criminals track and collect information on the victim.
However, the most common Windows malware threat last year was adware — software that displays unwanted advertisements on people’s computers. It accounted for 32% or 35,5-million Windows malware cases in 2020, a 22% drop from 45,7-million in 2019.