Linux is a popular and powerful operating system, but it is not immune to malware. In fact, malware that targets Linux systems is on the rise. In fact, findings from Atlas VPN based on data from threat intelligence platform AV-ATLAS, claims that in 2022 there were 1.9 million new Linux malware threats, bringing the figure up 50% year-on-year.
Threat actors are evolving to target a wide variety of systems and infrastructure, BlackBerry says in a new report. "In addition, attacks against Linux systems and cloud infrastructure will increase as threat actors look to install backdoors on target systems and gain visibility into organizations for further activities."
After rising and falling since 2021, new Linux malware hit record highs at year-end in 2022, growing by 117% over previous levels.
For bad actors, the more intelligence they have on their target, the better. Attackers typically gather intelligence by scraping data readily available from public sources, called open source intelligence (OSINT).
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The first quarter of 2022 revealed an alarming surge in Linux malware samples, with 854,690 distinct instances detected. Fortunately, the second quarter saw a decrease from this figure to 833,065 – a 3% reduction from initial figures.
The global linux operating system market was valued at 5.33 Billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and is expected to grow to 22.15 Billion U.S. dollars in 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.8% during the forecast period.
