Almost two-thirds (60 per cent) of new cyber threats that emerged over the past three months were trojans, according to a new report.
The Panda Security Q1 2010 report showed 61 per cent of the new attacks were down to this specific type of malware, meaning the number of computers infected went into the millions.
An executive from the research firm was unsurprised by this large figure.
"The [number] is more or less the average and I have even seen higher," said Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs.
"In the last two years trojans have been the most prevalent and this will continue."
Corrons claimed the main reason for trojans topping the list of new infections was that it is the best technique for cyber criminals to use to extract information from their victims.
Yet this threat is not the only thing online users have to worry about.
"When excluding trojans, fake anti-virus programs are the other most prevalent [type] of attack," Corrons added.
"The criminals can just sit down and wait for innocent users to pay for and download the program and watch the [money] growing."
As ever, the key to keeping your computer safe is keeping antivirus programs up to date, but Corrons warned that other steps must be taken to ensure your machine is clean.
He said that users need to keep all of their software up to date, from the operating system to the browser, and also use more common sense while surfing the web.
"You have to take [these] other measures otherwise it is like leaving your house and locking the door but leaving the window open," he said.
"If you don't have these security holes it will be a lot harder for cyber criminals to break in."
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
-
CronRat Magecart malware uses 31st February date to remain undetectedNews The malware allows for server-side payment skimming that bypasses browser security
-
Mekotio trojan continues to spread despite its operators’ arrestsNews Hackers have used it in 100 more attacks since arrests
-
“Trojan Source” hides flaws in source code from humansNews Organizations urged to take action to combat the new threat that could result in SolarWinds-style attacks
-
What is Emotet?In-depth A deep dive into one of the most infamous and prolific strains of malware
-
Fake AnyDesk Google ads deliver malwareNews Malware pushed through Google search results
-
Hackers use open source Microsoft dev platform to deliver trojansNews Microsoft's Build Engine is being used to deploy Remcos password-stealing malware
-
Android users told to be on high alert after Cerberus banking Trojan leaks to the dark webNews The source code for the authenticator-breaking malware is available for free on underground forums
-
Qbot malware surges into the top-ten most common business threats
News An evolved form of the banking Trojan was distributed by number one-ranking Emotet in a campaign that hit 5% of businesses globally
