Malware Statistics

Symantec, a  large security company, have reported that there are now more malware writers than legitimate software writers.

They state that 65% of the 54,609 Windows applications released to the public in the past 6 months were malicious.

Another interesting statistic from this report is the percentage of browser plug-in vulnerabilities:

  • 79% ActiveX
  • 8% QuickTime
  • 5% Java
  • 5% Flash
  • 2% Windows MediaPlayer

What this means is that by disabling ActiveX from your web browser (Internet Explorer) you can avoid 79% of web browser plug-in attacks. Here’s an article on how to disable ActiveX.

As for the other types of plug-ins, keep them patched and up to date to reduce the risk of infecting your computer.

Here is Symantec’s internet security report.

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