Consumer Cyber Threats Jumped 83% In 2020, And 2021 Could Set New Malware Records

Today, Atlas VPN extracted some interesting data from Malwarebytes' State of Malware 2021 report that gives insight into the company's malware detections via software globally. The most commonly detected threat was HackTool, a piece of riskware that allows users to use Microsoft software illegally. In 2019, there were only 511,848 detections, whereas, in 2020, there were 11.35 million warnings, equating to a 2,118% increase. Following HackTool, there was a rise in BitCoinMiner, InfoStealer, Screenlocker, among several others which are legitimately malicious. Furthermore, a multi-purpose piece of malware called Glupteba had only 406 detections in 2019 but jumped to 840,754 in 2020, an absurd 206,982% increase. You can see the other big changes up in the chart above, but in short, users need to be aware of malware any time they use a device.

If you want to protect yourself from cybersecurity threats, as AtlasVPN explains, "Patch frequently and early." Everything will need an update from time to time from your operating system, random programs, and devices on your network. Moreover, having strong antivirus with web filtering and protection can help as most malware comes via browser-based downloads. Also, stay away from cracked software, as "the type of individual who is willing to steal software like Adobe Illustrator or Microsoft Office and give away tools to crack it "for free" is also willing to take money from criminals to install malware in their phony downloads."

We would hope that all of this becomes less of a problem in the future, but for now, threats are on the rise as it is a lucrative and easy way to make money or cause damage. If you have any tips or tricks to staying safe in the age of malware, let us know about them in the comments below.