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The Netherlands is more affected by malware than Belgium, according to G DATA on the basis of a half-yearly analysis. It’s supposed to be 30 percent. On the other hand, approximately 35 percent more potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) have been observed in Belgium than in the Netherlands. These are programs that may not be wanted, despite the fact that the user downloaded them.

G DATA has identified 2,396,830 new malware samples over the past six months, which is about 9 samples per minute. It does not represent an increase in new types of malware, according to the security company. For example, over the entire previous year there were 8.4 million new samples, compared to the expected 5.4 million this year.

Cryptojacking and games

However, there is a strong increase in cryptojacking, a growth that other parties warn against more often. In this attack, the victim unconsciously digs cryptographic currency for the attacker. Cybercriminals in some cases use games to make victims love them.

G DATA also sees that in general, games are increasingly being used to spread other types of malware. These attacks often affect children, as they are not aware of potential threats. For example, over the past six months the company has seen a huge increase in malicious Android games, including fake versions of the Fortnite app for Android.

Support scams

In addition, G DATA is witnessing a comeback of support scams. Cybercriminals act as a helpdesk for a particular company, often Microsoft. Victims include the fact that their computer is infected with malware. This so-called problem could be solved with a program, which in reality allows the cyber criminal to temporarily take over the computer from a distance. Afterwards, victims have to pay money, while the system may be infected with malware that allows access to data.

Nevertheless, the figures for the past six months show a decrease. In particular, second quarter statistics were lower than before.

This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.