Linux may get a boost as more devices are powered by the operating system, but scammers inevitably come along with the epidemic, with a new report saying malware targeting the software will skyrocket by 2022.
Atlas VPN’s findings, based on data from threat intelligence platform AV-ATLAS, claim that there will be 1.9 million new Linux malware threats in 2022, making that number a 50% year-over-year increase.
most new linux (opens in a new tab) The report further stated that malware samples were spotted in the first three months of this year.
security operating system
In the first quarter of 2022, researchers discovered 854,690 new strains. In the second quarter, that number dropped 3 percent, with 833,065 new strains detected.
Malware developers for Linux definitely took a break in the third quarter of this year, as new detections plummeted 91% to 75,841. In the fourth quarter of this year, numbers picked up again, rising 117% to 164,697.
Despite the findings, the researchers said Linux remains a “highly secure operating system.”
“The open-source nature of Linux allows for constant scrutiny by the technical community, reducing the number of exploitable security holes. In addition, Linux limits users’ administrative privileges, and there is still less malware targeting it than more widely used operating systems such as Windows. “
But crooks won’t stop hunting for vulnerabilities in the world’s fifth-most popular operating system, researchers concluded, and businesses and consumers alike should remain vigilant.
Linux may not be as popular as Windows or macOS, but it is a widely used operating system. From Android devices (built on Linux) to Chromebooks, cameras, wearables, to servers of all kinds (web servers, database servers, email servers, etc.), there are more than 32 million endpoints running on Linux.
