OPSWAT Report Reveals Majority of Mac Devices Still Left Unprotected

OPSWAT releases its quarterly market share report with new comparisons between Mac and Windows users along with statistics on public file sharing products.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 10, 2015

OPSWAT today announced the release of their latest market share report, which includes market share for peer-to-peer file sharing products as well as detailed comparisons between Mac and Windows devices. The report takes a look at the use of file sharing, antivirus software and RTP (Real Time Protection) between both Windows and Mac users.

For the first time, this report includes Mac device data, which allows for a comparison of the security practices between Windows and Mac users. In the antivirus usage section, 75.5% of Windows users were found to have at least one antivirus product installed compared to only 50% of Mac users, revealing that many Mac devices are left without adequate protection. Windows users also outperformed Mac users with their use of RTP, an important part of protecting a device from malware and PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications).

In the report, Mac and Windows devices are also compared on their use of peer-to-peer file sharing. Adam Winn, Senior Product Manager for OPSWAT Gears stated, "The prevalence of P2P file sharing software in combination with the relatively low utilization of real time protection is not a good indicator of the overall security status of Windows and Mac computers in BYOD and small business environments. Peer-to-peer file sharing software by itself is generally harmless and can be used very effectively for rapidly and legally downloading files. Unfortunately the P2P installers are usually bundled with adware, and sometimes even malware. Even if users get through installation unscathed, there are many torrents repackaged with malware, especially Trojans, bitcoin miners and ransomware."

For more details on the collection of this data and a complete breakdown of Windows and Mac device comparisons, please view the full report.

All data in the report was collected by OPSWAT Gears, the vendor-agnostic endpoint security management platform. Gears enables visibility and control over compliance issues like antivirus, password and hard disk encryption status, with integration to most NAC and SSL VPN products for automatic enforcement. Additionally, Gears provides a second line of defense by detecting persistent, evasive and commodity malware using multiple techniques, including OPSWAT's Metascan® technology. Gears works with managed and unmanaged devices, both in-network and remote. To try the free Gears assessment tool, please visit opswatgears.com/download.

For more information regarding this report, please contact marketing(at)opswat(dot)com. Previous OPSWAT quarterly market share reports are available to view on OPSWAT's website.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/opswat/marketsharereport/prweb12778322.htm