The attackers changed tactics

Security companies said the attackers this year sought to exploit vulnerabilities in multimedia and security software rather than various vulnerabilities in operating systems.

In one study, the SANS Institute explained that this year, attackers have tried to exploit vulnerabilities in multimedia software and other applications rather than vulnerabilities in operating systems. Of these applications, antivirus programs were no exception. Experts see that one of the reasons for the change is that operating system developers, including Microsoft, are increasingly taking action against threats from security vulnerabilities.

The SANS Institute has also collected the most dangerous vulnerabilities. According to experts, users running Windows operating systems may be at risk primarily due to security vulnerabilities discovered in the Internet Explorer web browser, Office, and Outlook Express. In its report, the SANS Institute also drew attention to some dangerous flaws that can cause problems when using Apple’s Mac OS operating systems.

The SANS Institute also addressed the security of network devices separately, and it turned out that attackers are increasingly trying to exploit the security holes of these devices as well. According to SANS, network devices are a "fruitful platform" for attackers.