Miscellaneous 2 min. read

The State of Malware: What’s Lurking Online

The State of Malware: What’s Lurking Online

Malware attacks continue to become a threat to Internet users, and the perpetrators aren’t showing signs of slowing down. According to Germany-based Internet security institute AV-TEST, an estimated 390,000 new malicious programs are registered every day, with the total number nearing 600,000,000 as of September 2016. These numbers are for Windows and Android devices only, which means there could be more if figures from other operating systems like OS X and Linux are factored in.

Even the number of possible ways of entry into devices are growing. In 2015, a new zero-day vulnerability was found every week on average, up by 125 percent to 54 from 24 in 2014, according to Symantec’s latest Internet Security Threat Report. Zero-day vulnerabilities refer to flaws in browsers and website plugins, which attackers use to do their bidding.

The same report said that vulnerabilities were found in 75 percent of websites, with the administrators struggling to stay up to date with patches in securing the sites. The vulnerabilities were exploited by cybercriminals to conduct over one million web-based attacks against users every day in 2015.

Of all web-based attacks in 2015, financial transactions were among the heaviest targets. According to the Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2015, there were around 1,900,000 recorded notifications about money being attempted to be stolen through online banking. Kaspersky also detected an estimated 121,000,000 unique malicious objects during the same year.

The cited reports indicate that the numbers will continue to grow, resulting in more devastating effects not just for users, but also for businesses and governments. If the trend continues, Internet users can expect to see more malware attacks, data breaches and other malicious online activities in the coming years.

With malware attacks on the Internet becoming more sophisticated, keeping malware from infecting devices is becoming even harder. Conventional security measures are not enough to keep these attacks from affecting your device. If you want additional protection on top of your anti-malware and firewall, a virtual private network (VPN) like Hotspot Shield is what you need.

Enjoy worry-free Internet sessions by downloading Hotspot Shield VPN

Hotspot Shield online security VPN for added malware protection

Using a regularly updated database of more than 3.5 million domains known or suspected to contain malware, Hotspot Shield notifies you if the website that you are trying to visit is malware-infested, and then blocks that website. This provides added protection against malware for your device, providing a worry-free online experience.

There are a number of other features that make Hotspot Shield a great online security VPN for Internet users. It can unblock websites and content that are region-locked or blocked in school and at work. It lets you enjoy anonymous surfing and has an advanced encryption system that prevents hackers from accessing your sensitive information. It also comes complete with Wi-Fi security, so you are protected from attacks when connected to public hotspots.

Keep your device safe from malware and enjoy better browsing sessions by downloading Hotspot Shield now! You can visit our website for more information about Hotspot Shield and its other benefits. You can also learn more about VPN and get a few tips by visiting our blog.

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