Kaspersky Lab Survey Shows Nearly Half of Participants Have Encountered Malware

Survey data reveals the incidents are costing consumers money

Woburn, MA – September 14, 2015 - The 2015 Consumer Security Risks Survey conducted by Kaspersky Lab with B2B International revealed that nearly half of participants (45%) encountered at least one malware incident during the last year. These incidents had varying results including deletion of personal data, hacked webcams and financial loss averaging around $160.

When looking at the cause of the incident, 12 percent of those surveyed believe their device was infected after visiting a suspicious website. Another eight percent cited that using someone else’s USB flash drive, using another infected device, and installing a malicious app disguised as a legitimate program were the cause of infection. Yet another seven percent of those surveyed said their devices were infected after opening an email attachment. The greater part of those polled, 13 percent, could not explain how malware ended up on their device.

Most often (35% of cases), the aftermath caused slower computer performance. For some, an infection resulted in changes to a browser or the operating system settings without the user's permission (17%). Also around one in ten were hit by a more severe impact, including data locking (11%), the deletion of personal data (10%), fraudulent social media posts (9%) and hacked webcams (6%).

The survey results also showed that one in three (33%) who suffered a malware infection also experienced a financial loss as a result. Victims spent money on professional repairs, software to eliminate the effects of an infection, and some even had to buy a replacement device. When financial losses were incurred, the average cost of an attack amounted to $160.

"The costs and unpleasant effects of a malware infection can be avoided with a little prudence. For instance, do not insert unverified USB sticks in a device, only use official app stores, keep the operating system and applications up to date and scan files with a security solution before opening them. The ability to foresee potential problems and take precautions is the key to staying safe," explains Elena Kharchenko, Head of Consumer Product Management, Kaspersky Lab.

To help mitigate encounters with malware, Kaspersky Internet Security  and Kaspersky Total Security protect Windows, OS X and Android-based devices. The solutions were designed to protect users from a wide range of threats including malware that intercepts passwords, unauthorized attempts to access webcams, cryptomalware, vulnerabilities in popular applications and much more. Kaspersky Lab solutions also include free apps for different platforms to check a device for infections or vulnerabilities.

About Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab is one of the world’s fastest-growing cybersecurity companies and the largest that is privately-owned. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users (IDC, 2014). Since 1997 Kaspersky Lab has been an innovator in cybersecurity and provides effective digital security solutions and threat intelligence for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab is an international company, operating in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 400 million users worldwide.

Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

Media contact:
Sarah Kitsos
sarah.kitsos@kaspersky.com
781-503-2615