ESG spokesperson Ryan Gerding told ABC-affiliate WGNO: "It's very common for people who participate in Lenten activities to curtail usage of things like social media and technology in general in the weeks leading up to Easter.
"They may also reduce the amount of time spent on adult websites, which are common sources of malware infections.
"We think the combination of those activities together help to explain why computer malware infections drop during Lent."
The decline in the number of computer viruses being detected this Lent follows a 14-per-cent reduction seen by ESG last year.
The firm also found US cities with high Catholic populations saw greater drops than the national average, with 36-per-cent and 31-per-cent falls reported in Boston and New York respectively.
Remembering how Jesus was tempted in the desert by the devil for 40 days, many Christians fast or abstain from certain activities between Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday.
Many Christians agree God intended sexual intimacy to be expressed between a married man and women, and not through the use of pornography.
