Windows systems face six times more malware threats than MacOS

A study conducted by Surfshark analyzing over 390,000 malware incidents between January and July 2026 has revealed significant security discrepancies between Windows and MacOS. The findings indicate that Windows systems are approximately six times more likely to be affected by malicious software than MacOS systems.

While Windows users accounted for 66 percent of the studied user base, they represented 92 percent of all recorded threats. In contrast, MacOS users made up 34 percent of the user base but experienced only 8 percent of the attacks. The report notes that the widespread use of Windows makes it a primary target for cybercriminals, who benefit from a vast existing market of hacking tools. Trojan malware was particularly dominant on Windows, accounting for 46 percent of the detected threats.