Computer Security Malware Levels Drop Dramatically During Hurricane Matthew

Malware Levels Drop Dramatically During Hurricane Matthew

hurricane matthew malware levels drop then increase after stormAs Hurricane Matthew surged up and down the southeastern United States, malware infections took a dive. It's a small but interesting example of how the hurricane disrupted people's everyday activities for a few days. Based on malware detections data from SpyHunter, ESG took a look at infections in the areas hardest hit by Matthew.

In Florida, the area with the most evacuations and the most people impacted, malware infections dropped 24% as the evacuations began and Matthew moved in. Jacksonville, one of the largest cities impacted by Matthew, saw infections drop 57% from Monday to Sunday.

Georgia saw a similar drop—20% from Monday to Sunday. Infections in South Carolina hit a low on Monday of this week—down 16% from a week ago.

"Any time there is a major change in people's online activity, there is usually also a change in infections," said ESG spokesperson Ryan Gerding. "During major snowstorms when people are stuck at home, we see infections go up. In the case of Hurricane Matthew, we had millions of people leaving their homes and computers behind. Or those who stayed lost power, and were occupied with activities other than typical web browsing. So we saw the infections go down."

As life in the areas impacted by the hurricane slowly get back to normal, ESG reports that infections are already beginning to return to pre-hurricane levels. In Florida, for example, infections popped back up 31% from Saturday to Monday of this week.

ESG also warns of scammers attempting to take advantage of the hurricane to infect people's computers with malware.

"When there is a major natural disaster, we often see crooks who send bogus emails purporting to be charities soliciting donations to help victims," Gerding said. "There may be a link in the email that people click in the hopes of making a donation. Instead, that link will install malware on their computer. We have also heard of criminals spamming emails that look like they are from insurance providers and other organizations involved in the recovery and rebuilding process. Instead they are filled with attachments and links that install malware. We always advise people in every circumstance to 'think about that link' before they click on it."

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