{"id":79623,"date":"2024-06-29T17:02:06","date_gmt":"2024-06-29T09:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/?p=79623"},"modified":"2024-06-26T17:24:58","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T09:24:58","slug":"threat-protection-pro-everyday-online-threats-in-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/zh\/2024\/06\/threat-protection-pro-everyday-online-threats-in-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Threat Protection Pro: Everyday online threats in numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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According to new research by NordVPN, adult content, free video hosting sites, and sites that impersonate well-known and reputable brands have the most security and privacy threats, such as malware, intrusive ads, and trackers.<\/p>

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According to new research by NordVPN<\/u><\/a>, a leading cybersecurity company, adult content, free video hosting sites, and sites that impersonate well-known and reputable brands have the most security and privacy threats, such as malware, intrusive ads, and trackers.<\/p>

In May alone, NordVPN\u2019s Threat Protection Pro feature blocked more than 5B intrusive ads, almost 40B trackers, and 60M malware infection attempts<\/b>. With more than 50M malware-related incidents Americans are among the most affected among all Threat Protection Pro users globally. A thorough analysis of these suspended incidents revealed vital cybersecurity and privacy threats that users should be aware of and protect themselves.<\/p>

\u201cEvery day, we face cyber threats without even noticing them. Even if we do not see malware or trackers with the naked eye or can handle the irritation caused by intrusive ads, it does not save us from severe privacy and cybersecurity issues. We should improve our knowledge and use trusted technology tools to avoid these threats. Most anti-malware features integrated into popular VPNs are usually limited to simple DNS filtering. NordVPN\u2019s digital protection tool is now upgraded to Threat Protection Pro and helps users avoid hacking, tracking, phishing, scams, malware, and annoying ads and cookies,\u201d says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity advisor at NordVPN<\/u><\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Malware hides in adult sites and deceptively misspelled Office365 links<\/b><\/h2>

Malware is malicious software: viruses, trojans, ransomware, and spyware designed to harm a user\u2019s devices. It can steal sensitive data, encrypt important files, or even take over the devices, putting the criminal in complete control. The most common way users can get their devices infected with malware is by visiting malicious sites.<\/p>

NordVPN research shows that from January 1 to May 31, Threat Protection Pro blocked more than 24M malicious links in adult content sites (or 8% from all blocked sites), as well as 16M links in uncategorized (5%), and 13M in web services (4%) sites.<\/b><\/p>

Moreover, cybercriminals more often use deceptive misspellings of popular brands to trick victims into clicking phishing links and downloading infected files. As much as 99% of all phishing attacks use just 300 brands for deception. The most popular brands that users impersonated for spreading malware are Office365 (86K impersonated URLs discovered), Gazprom (60K), AT&T (28K), Facebook (19K), and Bet365 (15K)*.<\/b><\/p>

\u201cThe brands themselves are not at fault \u2014 fakes like these also hurt their reputation, forcing companies to actively hunt them down. But high brand awareness can lull victims into a false sense of security and get them to lower their guard,\u201d Warmenhoven says.<\/p><\/blockquote>

One device in The United States faces 89 malware attacks a month<\/b><\/h2>

The risk of getting infected with malware also varies by geographic region. These differences could be attributed to the varying levels of internet connectivity, economic development, and cybersecurity awareness in different countries.<\/p>

NordVPN research showed that Threat Protection Pro blocked more than 50M attempts to infect American users\u2019 devices during the research period<\/b>. On average, one device owned by an American user is exposed to 89 malware-related incidents every month<\/b>. In comparison, Ukraine is the most affected country, with 786 attempts to infect one device with malware per month.<\/p>

Privacy-invading trackers reign in free video hosting websites<\/b><\/h2>

Web trackers are a broad category of privacy-invading tools that collect information on user activity. Trackers typically take the form of special scripts, browser cookies, or tracking pixels. Unfortunately, in the case of a data breach, the stored tracker data could end up falling into the hands of cybercriminals.<\/p>

With this in mind, users should be highly attentive when using free video hosting (28% of all blocked trackers), online storage (13%), and search engines (13%), which, according to the research, are leaders in tracking user activities<\/b>. Since January 1, Threat Protection Pro has blocked 39B trackers from free video hosting sites alone, while the online storage category is accountable for 18B trackers.<\/p>

\u201cWebsites often share or sell data collected by trackers to third parties. But those who want to protect their privacy can use several tools to become less trackable. For example, VPN, which will change real IP address and virtual location, tracker blocker or privacy browsers\u201d, says Warmenhoven.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Intrusive ads are not just annoying<\/b><\/h2>

Invasive and irrelevant ads popping up unexpectedly, blocking the host page, and opening new pages and windows are also the most common for free video hosting, adult content, and advertisement sites. Since the beginning of the year, Threat Protection Pro has detected and blocked billions of them: more than 2B, 1B, and 807M<\/b>, respectively.<\/p>

Moreover, intrusive ads are much more than just an annoying part of internet surfing; they are a matter of privacy and security. They can also infect users\u2019 devices by linking to malicious sites, violate privacy by collecting data from web activity, and impact website loading speed.<\/p>

How to stay safe from common cyber threats<\/b><\/h2>

To protect yourself from common cybersecurity threats like malware, trackers, and intrusive ads, Adrianus Warmenhoven advises to take these precautions:<\/p>