According to a report from the BKAV Technology Group, 15 million computers in Vietnam were infected with viruses in the third quarter of 2017, with half of them infected via USB connections.

Experts attributed the issue to low awareness of safe USB use among Vietnamese users despite their knowledge of the consequences of computer viruses.

The BKAV last year calculated 83 percent of USBs in the country carried viruses.

Computer viruses caused losses of 10.4 trillion VND (470 million USD) in 2016, surpassing the 8.7 trillion VND from the year before.

The report also warned that the Internet of Things, like home routers and webcams, can be a target of Mirai, malware that turns networked devices running Linux into remotely controlled "bots" that can be used to launch large-scale network attacks.   

BKAV specialists said they have spotted a new version of Mirai aimed at Vietnam.

VNA