Malware for Linux hit a record high in 2022: 1.9 million, up 50% from a year earlier

CTOnews.com, January 20, although the Linux system gives people the impression of being safe and reliable, the number of malware aimed at the platform reached an all-time high in the past 2022. According to Atlas VPN team statistics, the number of malware targeted at Linux last year was 1.9 million, an increase of 50% over the same period last year.

CTOnews.com learned that the number of malware targeted at Linux was 75841 in the third quarter of 2022, up 91 percent from the same period last year, and 164697 in the fourth quarter, up 117 percent from the same period last year.

By contrast, other operating systems have declined. Overall, the number of malware in 2022 was 73.7 million, down 39% from a year earlier. The number of malware targeted at Android fell the most in 2022, falling 68 per cent to 1.1 million from 3.4 million in 2021.

Windows remains the operating system most targeted by hackers, accounting for more than 95 per cent of all malware. Compared with 116.95 million in 2021, the number fell to 70.7 million in 2022, down 40 per cent from a year earlier. The number of new malware applications for macOS fell by 26% to 12584 from 17061 in 2021.