Linux may enjoy a boost as more and more devices are powered by the operating system, but with popularity also inevitably come scammers, with new reports claiming that the number of malware targeting the software has skyrocketed in 2022.
Results obtained from Atlas VPN based on data from threat intelligence platform AV-ATLAS claim that in 2022 there were 1.9 million new Linux malware threats, raising the number by 50% year-on-year.
Most new malware samples on Linux were discovered in the first three months of the year, the report claims.
Safe operating system
In the first quarter of 2022, researchers discovered 854,690 new strains. In the second quarter, the number decreased by 3%, with 833,065 new strains discovered.
Linux malware developers must have taken a vacation in Q3, as the number of new detections dropped 91% to 75,841. In Q4, the numbers picked up again, growing 117% to 164,697.
Despite these findings, Linux remains “a very secure operating system,” the researchers say.
The open source nature of Linux allows for constant review by the technology community, which leads to fewer exploitable vulnerabilities. In addition, Linux limits administrative privileges for users and compared to more widely used operating systems like Windows, it still has fewer exploits. malware targeting it.”
The researchers concluded that scammers will not stop looking for vulnerabilities in the world’s fifth most popular operating system, and businesses and consumers alike need to be constantly on the lookout.
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Linux may not be as popular as Windows or macOS, but it is a widely used operating system. From Android devices (based on Linux), to Chromebooks, camcorders, and wearables, to all kinds of servers (web servers, database servers, email servers, etc.) there are over 32 million endpoints running on Linux. .
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