Windows ranks first in malware attacks in 2022; The reason why Windows is attractive to hackers and countermeasures

Want to know how dangerous malware is? According to the research of Atlas VPN service, in the first quarter of 2022, about 62.29 million malwares were released in cyberspace, which is approximately equivalent to 228,165 malware threats every day.

However, fortunately, the amount of malware threats has decreased by 34% compared to the previous year. As the end of the year approaches, the amount of threats has decreased steadily and season by season; So that the statistics report a 4% decrease in malware in the second quarter and a 14% decrease in the third quarter compared to the previous periods.

However, Windows users should not close their eyes to possible dangers; Because this operating system has earned the shameful title of the most vulnerable system of 2022.

What you read in this article:

Windows; Award winner for easiest target for malware

to report Fox News According to Atlas VPN, in the first nine months of 2022, more than 59.8 million examples of malware have been discovered in the Windows operating system, which constitutes 95.6% of all cases discovered in the said period.

After Windows, Linux with 1.76 million, Android with 938,379, and MacOS with 8,329 found malware are in the next ranks.

What is the reason for the extreme vulnerability of Windows?

The simplest answer to this question is the widespread use of Windows in the world and its widespread use; As a result, the threats against it are more than other operating systems. Of course, it is much cheaper for hackers to create malware for a system that is the number one in the world in terms of the number of users; Therefore, with the spread of a malware, the number of infected systems increases alarmingly and rapidly.

Also, the possibility of unwanted malware downloads is much higher when installing programs from untrusted sources on Windows devices; Because unlike systems such as Mac with a dedicated store and library for downloading the required software, Windows users do not have access to such a feature, and in most cases they have to download the programs they need using standard browsers and the Internet connection, which is very vulnerable.

In the following, we will explain the reasons for this from a more technical point of view:

From the beginning of its appearance and before Internet access became possible for everyone, Windows was designed only for the personal use of one user on each device, and it was not possible to define multiple accounts and put passwords on them like today. Therefore, from the beginning, Windows lacked the necessary security measures such as appropriate user accounts and limited access to files to protect critical parts of the system. Even today, when Windows has a multi-user architecture, it has never taken advantage of the built-in, default firewall built into the operating system’s architecture.

This means that unless the user provides additional security software for his system, his Windows is vulnerable to hacker attacks and malware infection when connected to the Internet.

To learn more about malware, I suggest you read Zomit’s dedicated article:

How to protect ourselves against malware?

Malwares use various physical and virtual carriers to infect devices and networks. However, measures can be taken to prevent them from penetrating the system and reading the hands of hackers.

1. Keep your device software up to date.

One of the best ways to prevent system contamination is to update its software; Because companies regularly update and fix vulnerabilities to make their products resistant to malware; So, never forget to update your device.