New data from Surfshark Antivirus shows a striking gap in how malware targets Windows versus macOS users: Windows devices see nearly six times as many detections per user as macOS devices.

However, Gabrielė Sinkevičiūtė, Surfshark’s Head of Product, is saying that the sentiment often echoed on the internet that “Macs are safer” is not entirely accurate.

“Mac users still operate under the assumption that their device is inherently safer, which can make them way more susceptible to social engineering tactics like phishing rather than traditional malware,” he says.

Here are highlights from the Surfshark study: 

  • Windows users made up 66% of Surfshark Antivirus’ active user base but accounted for 92% of all malware detections;
  • macOS users made up 34% of the user base but just 8% of detections — meaning Windows users encountered nearly 6x more threats per user;
  • Trojans were the top threat on Windows (46% of detections) vs. 25% on macOS;
  • Phishing hit macOS far harder, ranking 3rd on that platform (15% of detections) vs. just 3% and 6th place on Windows;
  • Riskware accounted for 19% of Windows detections and 17% on macOS;
  • Adware: 4% on Windows, 3% on macOS.

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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today