PC security company McAfee is reporting that the threat of viruses is the largest it has ever been in the last four years. Although PC viruses have risen at an alarming rate, the report also notes alarming growth in the rate of Mac viruses.
Specifically, the report urges that “All Mac fanboys and –girls are hereby on notice: Mac malware is showing steady, continued growth.” In other words, Mac users need to arm themselves with effective antivirus software and take appropriate precaution when browsing online.
There is some good news for Mac users: although the rate of growth for Mac viruses is incredibly large, the total number of Mac viruses still pales in comparison to the total number of PC viruses. However, McAfee urges that today, viruses can be written for any operating system, and no users are safe regardless of which operating system they use.

The fastest growing viruses in the world

The report by McAfee claimed that the fastest growing type of virus was of the ‘fake antivirus software’ variety. Fake antivirus software scans your computer, encounters thousands of bogus threats, and then holds your computer hostage until you pay for the full version of that software to fix those threats.
In some cases, fake antivirus software is just designed to steal your money, while in other cases, it installs special tracking cookies onto your computer that forces Google search engine results to redirect to malicious websites. Or, fake antivirus software could simply steal your information.

Android viruses were also rising at a rapid pace. Although mobile users were previously ignored by hackers and virus makers, that is no longer the case. With more and more mobile users entering the market, hackers are preying on easy targets with Android-specific malware. All an Android user has to do is visit the wrong website to have their smartphone or tablet immediately become infected.

How to stay protected

As with any recent developments in PC security, make sure you’re armed with effective antivirus software and a good anti-malware program like PC Cleaner Pro. You should also stay educated on the latest news in the PC security world by staying tuned to our blog, and take extra precaution when browsing online on any site.
Remember: hackers are getting smarter every day, and even the most PC-savvy users can be tricked into downloading rogue antivirus software. Be smarter than that and protect your computer today with PC Cleaner Pro.