Gathered from Avast’s Threat Detection Database, the Avast Global PC Risk Report 2019 Uncovers the Digital Dangers to Home and Business Computers
Avast, a global leader in digital security products, revealed that in any given month, home users of Windows 7, 8 and 10 computers have a 20% chance of encountering any type of PC threat. Afghanistan, Iran and China topped the list as the countries where home PC users are most at risk, while Pakistan, Vietnam, and China are the countries where businesses are more likely to encounter a cyber threat.
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The Avast Global PC Risk Report 2019, which analyzed data from the Avast threat detection database, also found that Windows 10 home users are the most likely to encounter an ‘advanced attack,’ which is defined as a new, not yet seen before threat designed to bypass common protection technologies in security software such as URL filtering, mail scanning, signatures, heuristics and emulators.
Based on the data which was analyzed, the safest Windows version seems to be Windows Vista, likely due to global Windows Vista usage* being down to about 2% making it an unattractive target for cybercriminals. Windows Vista home users have a threat risk ratio below 10% for all threats and a 1.6% risk ratio for advanced threats. The same is true for business users, where Windows Vista users have a 7% chance of encountering any kind of threat and a 1% chance of encountering advanced threats.
“Cybercriminals create threats that take advantage of the activities carried out by home users and rely on consumers being less aware of digital security,” said Luis Corrons, Security Evangelist at Avast. “Conversely, businesses usually have restrictive browsing policies in place and entire IT teams dedicated to keeping networks secure. At home, without realizing it, we can engage in far more risky online activities without enjoying the same level of protection.”