Security researchers from Atlas VPN found nearly 404 million malware infections during the last 30 days (in April 2020) globally, which is over 10 million cases per day. According to the data compiled by Atlas VPN, more than 64% of the malicious attacks were targeted on educational institutions.
“In April, the number of global infections worldwide was rising and falling from 10 million to nearly 16 million daily cases. On the first day of the month, there have been around 12 million infections registered worldwide,” the researchers stated.
Since April 5, the total number of malware infections surged, reaching over 13.5 million on April 7. It decreased the next day but increased to 14 million infections on April 9. Post that, the number began to decline, dropping to 11 million cases. On April 16, the number of attacks reached its peak, hitting over 16 million cases worldwide. It then decreased and dropped to 11 million malware infections on April 19. The ensuing week the number fluctuated from 11.7 million to 15.1 million infections, per day.
Central Asia – The Most Targeted Region
Researchers suggested that the Central Asia region suffered the largest number of malware attacks. Around 32.13% of devices in Tajikistan were exposed to malware attacks, followed by Uzbekistan, with 31.44%. In both Venezuela and Brazil, about 12% of devices experienced malware infections, followed by at least 11% of infected devices in Mexico. Belarus and Russia were the most affected countries in the European region.
Education Sector Is the Most Targeted
Atlas VPN revealed that the education sector suffered over 4.2 million malware infections, which makes 64.77% of the 6.5 million attacked devices. “Educational institutions were exposed to the largest number of malware attacks since criminals expect school staff or students are not well-trained in cybersecurity,” Atlas VPN said. The frequency of the attacks is expected to rise during the exam period.
The second most suffered industry is the business and professional services sector. With over 623 thousand encounters, the industry experienced 9% of all cases. Similarly, retail and consumer goods faced 8% of all malware attacks, with nearly 540 thousand cases. Meanwhile, financial and insurance services suffered 5% of malware infections, globally.
The aerospace and automobiles field faced almost 200 thousand malicious attacks, with 3% of the total number of attacks. Next to it is mining, chemicals, oils, and gas, with nearly 3%, it was exposed to 194 thousand attacks. Transportation and hospitality sector with 162,000 malware attacks stood last at 2.5%.
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