Help Net Security reports that Detroit has one of the lowest malware infection rates in the US, based on information from Enigma Software Group. An analysis of more than one million malware infections in the United States shows that only PC’s in Boise, ID and Memphis, TN have malware infection rates less than Motown’s.
Enigma recently pulled a 30-day history of infections in the 100 largest cities in the United States. Not surprisingly, New York City had the most infections, because New York has the most computers. However, after the number of infections as a percentage of a city’s population was considered, Atlanta, GA and Birmingham, AL have the highest malware infection rates in the United States.
“Malware makers are becoming more and more sophisticated, and the risk they pose to your computer and your valuable personal information is growing,” says Enigma Software Group CEO Alvin Estevez told Help Net Security. “We think it’s important to keep an eye on where the malware is doing the most damage and our Malware Tracker map (link broken a the far end) helps us and consumers know what’s going on.”
According to this data, the cities with the highest PC malware infection rates are:
Atlanta, GA- Birmingham, AL
- Denver, CO
- Chesapeake, VA
- Madison, WI.
Other notable cities included:
28. Dallas
35. San Francisco
51. Houston
63. Los Angeles
64. Chicago
84. Phoenix
85. New York City
89. Philadelphia
Enigma Software Group’s Malware Tracker uses data from its SpyHunter software to estimate how many computers have worms and Trojan infecting them. After collecting the data, it uses the Google Maps API, to zoom into specific neighborhoods and find out who’s infected. The data can also be separated into different types of malware.
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While it is always a plus to have good things to say about Detroit, it does not take much analysis to know these stats do not mean that Detroiters are better PC drivers than the rest of the world. The first thing I noticed about the Enigma map was that Ontario had more outbreaks reported than most of the U.S. east coast. I would attribute that to the degree of market penetration by Enigma’s software.
A second cause, which I wrote about last March when Symantec declared Detroit the least risky online city, is that the depression global financial crisis turns these stats on their head. Symantec found that Detroit ranked last in categories like:
- WiFi and hotspots per capita,
- Annual expenditures per household on Internet Access and Computers,
- Adult Internet use.
All of which will cut the number of personal PC’s with malware infections.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.