AV-TEST Report: Malware Development Continues to Accelerate

The development of malware programs continued its accelerated trend in 2020, building on dynamics observed in 2019, according to AV-TEST's latest Security Report 2019/2020. The malware industry is bifurcating, with a sharp increase in automated mass malware for broad online attacks and a concurrent rise in sophisticated malware developed for specialized attacks on companies and critical infrastructure.

In 2019, the cybersecurity firm registered over 114 million newly developed malware applications, marking an all-time high. The first quarter of 2020 saw over 43 million new samples, suggesting the annual total could exceed 160 million by year-end. Currently, new malware is generated at a rate of approximately 4.3 samples per second. This surge in mass malware is partly attributed to improved protection levels, particularly for Windows systems, which remain the primary target. In 2019, malware targeting Windows accounted for over 78 percent of new threats, a figure that rose to over 83 percent in the first quarter of 2020.

On mobile platforms, Android experienced a decline in new malware compared to its 2017 peak, though early 2020 trends indicate a potential resurgence. macOS also saw a decrease in new malware in 2019 from prior highs, but the statistics remain persistently significant. AV-TEST's report provides detailed facts and analyses on the current threat landscape, including data on the evolution of malware across various operating systems.