Virus Damages Assessment for June 2009
Saturday, 11 July 2009 16:50
The table below represents an assessment of the state of dissemination of pc viruses in all forms - Spam, Virus, Spyware and Phishing - and provides a statistical overview of the damages measured in real money. The figures have been derived from a study by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, based on a nationally representative survey covering the previous month (spam), six months (spyware), and two years (viruses and phishing), projected to 87.2 million Internet-using households (source: eMarketer). Total damage is estimated using the average cost within the time period noted. Source for number of phishing attacks: Anti-Phishing Working Group.
| | Spam | Viruses | Spyware | Phishing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National incidence | The incidence of heavy spam is as high as last year. 1 in 3 had heavy levels of spam. | The frequency is the same as in last year’s survey. 1 in 7 had serious problems. | 545,000 households had to replace computers in the past six months. 1 in 12 had serious problems. | 34,758 attacks in December 2008 alone. 1 in 90 lost money. |
| Total damage | N/A | $5.8 billion | $1.7 billion | $483 million |