Antivirus/anti-spyware maker Malwarebytes said today (Feb. 11) that Macs encountered nearly twice as many threats as Windows PCs in 2019, citing data collected from machines with its software installed.

"In 2019, we detected an average of 11 threats per Mac endpoint," the Malwarebytes 2020 State of Malware Report states, "nearly double the average of 5.8 threats per Windows endpoint."

Indeed, the report states that "the average of 5.8 threats per Windows endpoint is nearly double the average of 5.8 per Windows endpoint.

Indeed, most Mac threats were adware and other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs); Windows threats were higher overall, but distributed among a larger number of Windows users.

But the numbers confirm what some experts have long suspected: Mac users see more adware than Windows users. And it gets worse.

According to Malwarebytes, Macs running its software saw an average of just 4.8 threats during 2018, less than half the average for 2019.If you're using a Mac, run one of the best Mac antivirus programs Make sure you're running one of the best Mac antivirus programs.

Part of that growth may be due to the Mac's share of the overall desktop OS market, which increased dramatically in 2019, according to StatCounter figures -- from 12.3% to 17% worldwide and from 18.5% to 25.5% in North America. This rapid growth makes it worthwhile to develop malware and adware for Macs.

However, Malwarebytes reports that another reason is that "macOS' built-in security system does not police adware and PUPs to the same degree as malware, leaving the door open for these borderline programs to enter This is because "these borderline programs are leaving the door open for infiltration.

Two Mac PUPs called NewTab and PCVARK were the second and third most detected unwanted software strains across all platforms. (The #1 threat was a type of Windows adware.)

NewTab is an adware that piggybacks on Safari extensions and redirects search results to links in which the administrator has some financial interest.

PCVARK is a family of "scareware" and "cleaners" proposed by Malwarebytes that attempt to convince users that their Mac is infected or clogged with junk and that they must purchase PCVARK software to remedy the situation. It attempts to convince the user that their Mac is infected or clogged with junk and they must purchase PCVARK software to remedy the situation.

In contrast, the top-ranked strain of Mac malware was the 30th most frequently encountered Mac threat in 2019, even though no single strain was at all.

"When it comes to traditional Mac malware such as backdoors, cryptominers, and spyware, a group of files exhibiting similar malicious behavior, detected under the generic name OSX.Generic.Suspicious, tops the list for 2019." Malwarebytes stated.

These threats execute malicious code out of the user's sight, Malwarebytes said. However, they are nothing compared to the threats faced by Windows users.

Windows users not only see many of the same adware and PUPs that Mac users encounter, but they also have to deal with truly frightening malware such as the Emotet and TrickBot Trojans, Ryuk and Sodinokibi ransomware There is no way to know how many people have been exposed to these malware.

"TrickBot and Emotet have risen to the top five threats in almost every region of the world," Malwarebytes wrote." Ryuk detections increased 543% over Q4 2018, and Sodinokibi detections have increased 820% since its May 2019 launch."

The saving grace for consumers is that these strains target businesses more often than consumers, and Ryuk is responsible for attacking hospitals and other healthcare facilities around the world.

Consumers are not immune, however; Emotet sent out poisoned holiday emails in late 2019 and is currently taking advantage of the Wuhan coronavirus to get people to open booby-trapped attachments.