Antivirus Usage Statistics

If you’ve ever found your laptop suddenly slowing down or your phone showing unnecessary ads from out of nowhere, you’ve probably encountered malware. As an unfortunate by-product of the growing dependence on the internet, cybercrime costs the world $6 trillion annually, and malware is its most potent tool.

Antivirus software is a security program that detects, neutralizes, and removes malware on your device. This software works by detecting, quarantining, or deleting malicious code, preventing malware from causing damage to your device. 

Understanding the numbers involved in antivirus usage helps you protect yourself on the internet more. Let’s dive head first onto the latest stats.

How Much Malware is Created Every Day?

Having an infected device can jeopardize its performance and spell disaster for your data. However, antivirus software can help you secure your infiltrated device.

At least 200 new malware are being created daily to attack different devices. Malware includes phishing emails, malicious links, and many more. Antivirus programs detect 350,000 viruses worldwide to protect devices from falling prey to malicious individuals.

Let’s look at the numbers and see what they tell us.

Antivirus Usage by Device

Cyberattacks increased by 33% in 2022, causing devastating damage to individuals and businesses alike. Antivirus help by protecting a computer system to protect itself from:

• viruses
• spyware
• malware
• rootkits
• phishing attacks
• spam attacks, and others

There are plenty of ways to get rid of viruses on your device, but getting an antivirus is the first step. Here is data showing the numbers involved in using antivirus by device.

1. Around 89% of desktop users use antivirus software.

(Statista)

Many more desktop users have installed antivirus applications than laptop users. In the United States, desktop computers have a chance to be better protected against viruses than laptops.

Almost 90% of desktop users use antivirus software, while 80% of laptop users have installed it on their portable computers.

2. Just 49% of mobile users have an antivirus app. 

(Safety Detectives)

Even with its vulnerability against malware, less than half of those who own mobile phones have installed Antivirus applications in their units. This indicates that many mobile phones remain targets of cyberpunk.

3. The percentage of malware differs depending on the installed OS, with Microsoft having 54.4%.

(9to5Mac)

An operating system (OS) controls hardware and software resources on a computer and offers standard services to software applications. Stats by OS are:

• 54.4% for Windows
• 9.4% on Linux
• 6.2% on macOS

While this looks like Windows is more vulnerable to malware, this is likely because there are way more Windows machines than Apple devices.

There are more than 32.8 million Linux users to Apple’s 100 million devices.

However, Linux machines still face more malware and threats. Mac tends to get less malware due to its use of sandboxed apps. Through this, only the minimum amount of data required is allowed access. This means that its operating system and other critical settings have an added layer of protection.

Antivirus Industry Statistics

Cyberattacks bring out $1.5 billion in profit annually. With that, the demand for antivirus software will only grow steadily in the coming years.

33 million households already have paid for antivirus software. With the imminent threat of cybercrime, the antivirus industry is in full swing.

Here are more things about the Antivirus Industry that will amaze you.

5. The Global Antivirus Software Market Size Grew to 4.25 Billion in 2023.

(The Business Research Company)

From $4.06 billion in 2022, the global market size of Antivirus Software has grown to $4.25 billion in 2023 at a CAGR rate of 4.5%; this is a manifestation of how ample the opportunity is for the industry to grow each year.

6. The global cybersecurity market grew to $40 billion in 2020.

(The Cyber Crew)

The cybersecurity market has risen to $300 billion within just a few decades. In 2021, it was projected to earn $42 billion in profit, and more companies are cashing in on this lucrative market.

While the earnings of pioneering antivirus solution providers such as McAfee and Norton have stayed the same in recent years, that is mainly due to the introduction of free solutions by companies like Microsoft.

7. ILOVEYOU Caused $10 Billion Worth of Damage.

(Tech Target)

In 2000, a virus known as ILOVEYOU caused $10 billion in damages within just a few days. Now, this virus holds the title of the worst computer virus of all time in the Guinness Book of World Records, infecting over 10% of all internet users at that time.

Getting a message with “ILOVEYOU” on the subject line proved irresistible for its receivers. When opened, the attachment caused the message to be sent again to everyone in the recipient's Microsoft Outlook contact book, which affected tech titans such as Ford and Microsoft, as well as the Pentagon, CIA, and the US Army.

Malware Detection Rate Statistics

With hundreds of newly created malware in a day, antivirus software has to be updated to ensure the safety of the devices with all the information and data in them. According to Eftsure, thousands of new malware are produced in a month, which is alarming since one of these new viruses can be as dangerous as the ILOVEYOU virus, among others.

The following statistics will convince you how essential your antivirus is.

8. 560,000 new malware pieces are found every day of the year.

(Worth)

Thousands of data and files are infected by malware on computers and websites daily. These are primarily the result of existing infections that keep circulating like actual diseases.

According to the most recent, more than 17 million new malware instances are discovered monthly; this is alarming because the rate is so high.

9. 2020 saw the number of detected malware variants across the globe rise by 62%.

(Worth)

From 187.91 million in 2019, the number of detected malware in 2020 reached 304.64 million; this means an increase of more than twice the attacks seen in just a year. The rise of more malware variants challenged experts to produce antivirus that would end the spread of the virus all over the globe.

10. The world recorded 623 million ransomware attacks in 2021.

(Statista)

Ransomware is malware identified by specified data or systems being held captive by attackers until payment or ransom is provided.

In 2021, more than half a billion attacks were detected, or at least 623 million. This is more than double compared to 2021 when there were only 304 million caught.

11. 90% of all financial institutions experienced ransomware attacks in 2020.

(Hub Security)

Small banks and credit unions are increasingly threatened by ransomware. 

In 2020, more and more small- to medium-sized banks and financial institutions in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe have been attacked by criminal organizations skilled at selling network access to Remote Desktop Protocol and Virtual Network Computing. 

Small banks are popular targets for hackers due to their poor cybersecurity infrastructure.

Antivirus for Business Statistics

Antivirus software can save enterprises from cruel attacks, including viruses, worms, Trojans, and ransomware.

Companies have all sorts of details about their workers and customers, which needs safeguarding from viruses and crackers ready to misuse them. Once your data is put out there in the void of the internet, there is no way back.

Antivirus applications can save your business from viruses and hackers. Your reputation will be on the line if your client details or company emails get published online. 

Here are some details on how antivirus software is used in businesses.

12. Only 9% solely use antivirus for business.

(VPN Alert)  

Out of 33 million households using antivirus, it is estimated that only 9% use them solely for business. In contrast, 32% of the respondents said they had one for personal and business use. 

Antivirus plays a significant role in securing the data and information of the company and the people around it, most notably those that can be released online.

13. Only 13% of Avast users are business and paying users. 

(Forbes)

Avast Business Security was chosen by only 4% of users, whereas Avast Premium Security was purchased by 10%. In 2022, 87% of users remained, and they opted for the free service. Over 435 million customers actively use Avast to safeguard their computers and smartphones from malware and other online risks.

Antivirus Market Share

The growth in the number of malware worldwide demands antivirus software to be updated regularly to respond to the possible harmful effects of the viruses, such as loss of data and files and even the release of confidential information online.

In 2020 alone, 305.6 million ransomware was detected globally. Despite its ever-adapting nature, the fight against the malware market is still dominated by antivirus giants of the 2000s.

Despite growing competition, antivirus companies also gain significant profit in the market. Let us all see how the Antivirus, as an enterprise, takes its role in the global and national market share.

14. The global antivirus software package market size reached US$ 3.9 Billion in 2021. 

(Yahoo)

The market size of antivirus software packages reached almost $4 billion in 2021, but it does not stop there.

IMARC Group, a leading market research company, expects the market to reach US$ 4.8 billion in 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.5% during 2022-2027.

15. Sophos dominates the antivirus companies' market share with 21.07%.

(6 Sense)

The top few companies with the most significant market share in the antivirus space are Sophos, with 21.07 % of the market share; McAfee Cloud Security, with 16.18 % of the market share; and Kaspersky, with 15.58 % of the market share.

Conclusion

In this day and age of digital innovation, having an antivirus is essential to add another layer of protection while surfing the internet.

From safeguarding an organization's private or government files and much more, an antivirus can be your device’s greatest asset, so make sure you choose the right one.