In today’s modern society, there’s almost nothing you can do without the help of the Internet. Even if you can do some activities without being online, sooner or later, you’re bound to use the Internet.
- Outrageous Hacking Statistics
- How Many Cyber Attacks Per Day?
- Top 5 Cybersecurity Threats And Hacking Attacks To Pay Attention To
- Phishing Statistics
- Largest Data Breaches and Hacking Statistics
- Top 12 Most Significant Data Breaches Of All Time
- Cybersecurity Statistics
- Cybersecurity Cost Predictions
In 2021, cyber crime will cost the entire world an estimated total of $6 trillion.
This is where it gets really interesting, because the more people use the internet, according to the latest hacking statistics, the more cyber crimes start popping up. Judging by all the known hacking facts, chances are that you too may be, or already have been, a victim of hacking.
$150 million is the total known cost of a data breach in 2020.
You don’t need to start formatting your hard drive right away, because most hacking attacks are blocked by your operating system’s security protocols way before they can become a problem to you and your device.
33 billion records will be stolen by cybercriminals in 2023, according to the latest predictions.
If we’ve managed to get your attention, let’s continue with some really fascinating hacking facts and interesting statistics.
Outrageous Hacking Statistics
Cyber crime is an outrageous thing no matter how you look at it, but when you’ll go over these statistics on hacking, you’ll quickly understand why companies and people invest so much money and time into tackling digital criminals.
It is estimated that every 11 seconds, a business has been subjected to some form of ransomware.
And this stat applies only for 2021. The future may bring a rise in hacking numbers.
99.9% of all accounts get hacked for not using a 2 Factor (or multi-factor) authentication software or app.
That means that you have an almost 100% chance of getting your account hacked if you choose not to use multi-factor authentication tools.
1.2 million Microsoft accounts were hacked in January 2020.
Almost 100% of these accounts didn’t use any form of multi-factor authentication.
Google was fined $50 million for not complying with GDPR regulations.
Laws state that a business can be fined up to 4% of its annual turnover if it places its client’s and users’ data at risk.
412 million user accounts were lost by Friendfinder after their database got hacked.
That’s more than the total US population.
95% of all cybersecurity data breaches are based on human error.
Basically, we’re talking about almost all cybersecurity breaches taking place due to some form or another of human mistake.
96% of all targeted attacks look to gather intelligence.
Looking at this stat, we can easily deduce that information is extremely valuable for cyber criminals, and that’s why it needs to be protected accordingly.
47% of the most vulnerable devices found on home networks are cameras.
This means that you can be hacked through your home camera which is a serious security and privacy breach.
65% of all the targeted cyber attacks are conducted via spear phishing.
Spear phishing is done by sending an email to a specific target audience in an attempt to infect a device with malware or to obtain sensitive information, which can later be sold for money.
The United States is the most attacked country in the world, with 255 targeted attacks in just 2 years.
These attacks are coming both from internal devices, as well as from other countries around the globe.
43% of all small businesses don’t have a cyber security plan in store.
Hackers can find an easy target if they choose to attack small companies and organizations, as their cyber security budgets are too small, or non-existent.
At the same time, 60% of small business owners don’t even think they require a cyber security department.
Their reasoning is based on the fact that these business owners don’t even believe that they are potential cyber crime victims.
22% of small businesses have switched to remote working without having a cyber security plan.
This just proves to show you that not every company places a strong focus on cyber threats.
How Many Cyber Attacks Per Day?
Cyber attacks are growing in numbers day after day. Looking only at recent website hacks, we can see a huge spike in the number of reported cyber security attacks.
More than 2,200 cyber attacks take place each day.
That means that 1 cyber attack happens every other 39 seconds.
Approximately 30,000 websites are hacked each and every single day.
Searching for any statistics involving a computer hack today, you’ll easily stumble upon these astronomic figures.
300 billion passwords needed to be secured in 2020.
Imagine that having 300 billion passwords online is like having just as many targets for cyber criminals.
53% of all healthcare organizations have been victims of data breaches at least once in 2020.
That means that 1 out of every 2 organizations working in healthcare has been attacked by hackers.
More than 9 million medical records were stolen in September 2020.
And we’re only talking about the healthcare industry right here.
300% more breaches were recorded in the same month, as opposed to the same period of the previous year.
The healthcare sector experiences an average of 37.25 security breaches every month.
Approximately 65,000 hacking attempts to SMEs take place every day in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom is another huge target for cyber attacks, along with the United States, Russia, Japan, and China.
Top 5 Cybersecurity Threats And Hacking Attacks To Pay Attention To
Ransomware
This is a special type of malware that locks (encrypts) your data so you will no longer be able to use it, and then money will be extorted from you if you want to receive an unlock code or password.
Phishing
This is one of the most popular cyber crimes which refers to any method of trying to subtract sensitive information from you, or a company, all while posing as a trustworthy source.
Data leakage
This refers to any valuable data that can be accessed through third-party storage, like smartphones and USBs.
Cyber Hacking
This method looks at obtaining access to an external system, in order to extract confidential data and information. All is done from a remote device.
Insider Threat
This happens whenever an employee intentionally or accidentally leaks classified company information.
Phishing Statistics
Without having a strong cyber security team, a company will most likely fall victim to various forms of phishing. However, this type of cyber crime usually affects regular internet users.
33% of data breaches are direct result of phishing.
Phishing comes in second only to hacking, which has a 52% share of all confirmed data breaches.
130.5% is the increase in phishing website in a timespan of just 3 years.
This is according to Google’s Transparency Report, designed for the 2017-2020 period.
Phishing website have gone from a total of 584,000 to 1.35 million in just 1 year.
2017 was the year with the highest growth rate in phishing websites, which is one of the most impressive statistics for hackers and victims alike.
Malware websites have gone down to 53,300 from a staggering 516,000.
These stats apply for the same year, meaning that hackers chose to go “phishingâ€ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ, rather than exploit a digital system through the use of malware.
66% of all businesses have been victims of different forms of phishing.
The numbers for 2020 have gone down from 83% in 2019.
Largest Data Breaches and Hacking Statistics
Recent computer hacks have taken the world by storm, even if cyber crime has been taking place since the early ’80s on a global scale. However, with technological advancement, cyber crime quickly followed in the footsteps of cyber security.
$150 million is the total known cost of a data breach in 2020.
That’s almost as much money as Lionel Messi, Barcelona’s captain, made in 2020.
196 days is the average time needed to identify a data breach.
Given the large period of time needed to find this security issue, most data breaches go undiscovered.
52% of all data breaches come from hacking activities.
Analyzing the most updated hacking trends proves that 1 out of every 2 companies is experiencing data breaches with regularity.
28% of data breaches are caused by malware.
This information is based on the same analysis which covered over 4,000 confirmed data breaches.
Hackers have earned over $1.3 billion in just 1 year through comprising business emails.
That’s why a company’s cyber security protocols should be a top priority.
7 out of every 10 data breaches are based on financial motivation.
Only 43% of the recorded and confirmed data breaches involved are a direct result of exploiting a system’s digital vulnerabilities.
$20 billion is the total estimated cost for damages done by ransomware in 2021.
Chances are that the numbers will continue to grow along with better and improved hacking methods.
$2.1 trillion is the estimated annual cost for data breaches in the future.
That’s a staggering rise considering that the total cost for the previous year was “only†$150 million!
An estimated 8.6% of a public company’s value is lost after every cyber breach.
These numbers are shocking, considering how many data branches occur on a daily basis.
Approximately 90% of all malware is spread via email.
Think about that the next time you’re opening an email that looks like spam, smells like spam, and actually is, well, spam!
Around $100 million each year is the estimated cost of identity theft.
Of course, this is the total cost victims had to pay for their identity being stolen.
Top 12 Most Significant Data Breaches Of All Time
These data breaches have cost companies and affected users billions and billions in US dollars.
Yahoo data breach (2013)
Total records affected: 3 billion
Total damage: $350 million is the total estimated loss in terms of the company’s value
First American Financial Corporation data breach (2019)
Total records affected: 885 million
Total damage: charged by the New York State Department Financial Services (NYDFS)
Equifax data breach (2017)
Total records affected: 148 million
Total damage: $700 million total cost in order to help the people affected by the data breach, plus reputational damage and several congressional inquiries
Marriott International data breach (2018)
Total records affected: 500 million
Total damage: fines from the United Kingdom totaling approximately $24 million and class-action lawsuits were filed against the company
Adult FriendFinder Networks data breach (2016)
Total records affected: 412.2 million
Total damage: the entire sensitive account information that was leaked
Facebook data breach (2019)
Total records affected: 540 million
Total damage: the entire sensitive account information that was leaked
Target data breach (2013)
Total records affected: 60 million
Total damage: a cumulative of $18.5 million multistate settlement, $10 million class-action lawsuit settlement, and $10,000 payments to customers who had evidence that they had suffered losses
U.S. Office of Personnel Management data breach (2015)
Total records affected: 21.5 million
Total damage: the entire database of extremely personal information that has been stolen
MySpace data breach (2013)
Total records affected: 360 million
Total damage: the entire number of leaked accounts that could be hacked
LinkedIn data breach (2012)
Total records affected: 165 million
Total damage: payments of $1.25 million to all the breached victims in the United States who were paying for LinkedIn’s premium services
Adobe data breach (2013)
Total records affected: 153 million
Total damage: the cost of $1.1 million in legal fees and another $1 million to all the affected customers
SolarWinds supply chain data breach (2020)
Total records affected: unknown
Total damages: reputational damage to over 18,000 organizations and governments at risk, approximately 50 organizations including some United States government agencies.
Cybersecurity Statistics
Cybersecurity has become one of the main focuses of any organization that has any type of online operations. Since most companies are present in the digital world, that means that all of them have one form or another of combating cyber attacks and cyber crime.
33 billion records will be stolen by cybercriminals in 2023, according to the latest predictions.
That’s almost 4 times the world’s global population. Pretty scary if we look at things from that perspective.
For every 1 person in the world, there’s an estimated 38.4 passwords in use.
This number is based on the fact that currently there are over 300 billion passwords online. However, these numbers grow exponentially by the day.
Just about 5% of a company’s folders are protected and secured by cyber security specialists.
The remaining 95% could be easy prey for hackers.
90 personal and business passwords are managed by the average employee working for a Fortune 500 company.
Fortune 500 covers the Top 500 companies in the world. This means that they demand a lot from their employees, including managing close to 100 passwords.
Approximately 24,000 malicious mobile apps are identified and blocked on the internet on a daily basis.
However, the number of undetected malicious apps is unknown.
Every day, 300,000 thousand new malware pieces are being created.
Good luck trying to stay away from malware without a proper antivirus.
Cybersecurity Cost Predictions
Without a shadow of a doubt, cybersecurity costs will rise in the upcoming years, due to the high increase in hack figures. Let’s go a little deeper into the details.
In 2021, cyber crime will cost the entire world an estimated total of $6 trillion.
The numbers for 2021 alone are shocking enough as it is, but who knows how they may vary in the next 5 to 10 years.
$15 billion per year is the average estimated loss due to identity theft in the United States.
This stat applies to United States citizens, however, cyber attacks can also be initiated from outside the country.
Over $1 trillion will be spent on cybersecurity worldwide in a timespan of 4 years.
These cyber hacking statistics predict a total cost of $1 trillion in spending for the period between 2017 and 2021.
62% of all cybersecurity specialists consider that their teams are severely understaffed.
This will lead to a higher cost for companies looking to expand their IT (and especially cybersecurity) departments.
3.5 million cybersecurity professionals will be needed in 2021.
And we’re only talking about the shortage in qualified personnel here.
Conclusion
Hacking and cyber crime will always be a part of the digital world. Whenever a company will develop new security protocols and update their antiviruses, hackers will simply develop the next thing or method that will get them past your “online gatesâ€ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ.
However, the more companies and governments invest in their cyber security systems, hacking statistics reveal that this type of online crime will start to decrease. Sure, it will not go away for good, but the numbers will be in decline.
What’s the most interesting hacking story you know? What fascinating hacking facts have you stumbled upon lately? What’s the hacking method you are most prepared against?
