Linux threats grew 57%, and worms/viruses made up the rest of 2021’s daily threats detected in one cybersecurity provider’s ecosystem.
As the end of 2021 approaches, one cybersecurity firm has tallied up its data and arrived at the following conclusion: an average of 380,000 malicious files were detected per day this year, indicating a 5.7% increase compared to 2020.
This growth apparently correlates with the continuous rise in the number of devices used worldwide, among other factors.
Traditionally, 91% of the threats in Kaspersky’s user ecosystem occurred via Windows PE files. However, in 2021 cybercriminals had started spreading threats associated with the Linux operating system more actively than ever before. As a result, the number of detected Linux malware and unwanted software grew by 57% in a year in the firm’s user base. Also:
- 54% of the threats this year in the firm’s users comprised unspecified trojans. While many types of threats reflected a decrease in volume in 2021 compared to 2020, trojan droppers grew by 2.24% compared to 2020. This type of malware is particularly dangerous since these programs are designed to deliver more sophisticated malware to a victim’s device.
- There was also a noticeable increase in the number of worms detected (117.5%), with their share reaching 9%. These malware can self-replicate and propagate independently once they breach the system.
- Lastly, viruses grew by 27%, increasing their share to 10% this year.
According to one of the firm’s security experts, Denis Staforkin: “Throughout 2021, we discovered 20,000 more malicious files per day compared to the previous year. This was not unexpected: online activity is still at its height due to worldwide remote-working. Furthermore, the major shift to online operations also means more devices are being used. That leads to a wider attack surface and, subsequently, wider exposure to threats. Therefore, improving digital literacy and keeping devices up to date are two extremely important tasks for users today.”
