In recent years, cybersecurity has become crucial for both organizations and individuals. The pandemic posed several additional challenges. Cyber attack statistics show that, besides the pandemic, 2020 was also one of the worst regarding data breaches and other cyberattacks.
Unfortunately, 2021 surpassed it. The way things are, cybersecurity often seems ignored, and IT experts believe organizations must do more to protect themselves. Additionally, individuals should also educate themselves on the most recent types of cyberattacks.
Anyhow, these are the most alarming cybersecurity numbers to pay attention to.
Cybersecurity Statistics (Editor’s Choice)
- When it comes to phishing, it was the most common attack in 2020
- About 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses
- Global losses because of cybercrime reached $1 trillion in 2020
- The global information security industry is forecasted to reach $170.4 billion by 2022
- There are around 2,200 cyber attacks each day
- Close to 35% of global attacks originated in China or Russia
- A total of 95% of cybersecurity breaches happen because of human error
- One cyber attack happens every 11 second
Cyber Attacks Stats
The pandemic brought not just health concerns but also a 600% increase in cyber attacks. Phishing remains the most prominent scam, especially since attackers can present themselves as CDC or WHO employees in their emails.
1. Microsoft Exchange Server Attack was one of the biggest cyber attacks in 2021.
(Geeks)
This attack on Microsoft Exchange Server affected millions of clients. About 60,000 companies in the US faced issues from the attack. Additionally, nine government agencies were also affected, according to cyber attack statistics. Other attacks to note are SolarWinds Megabreach, Colonial Pipeline’s DarkSide Intrusion, and Twitch Data Dump.
2. The pandemic caused a 600% increase in cyber attacks.
(Purplesec)
Pandemic became one of the main reasons for cyber attacks as it opened the doors to new kinds of scams. There is a noticeable increase of 600% in cybercrime. New phishing email schemes have also emerged, where hackers pose as CDC or WHO representatives.
3. When it comes to phishing, it was the most common attack in 2020.
(Tessian)
There are many types of cybersecurity attacks, but phishing was the most common one in 2020. There were a total of 241,324 phishing incidents in 2020. According to the FBI, this was 11x more phishing complaints compared to 2016.
4. About 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses.
(Embroker)
Attackers will try to take on any business. However, most go for small or medium organizations. Based on the cyberattacks statistics, 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses. Unfortunately, only 14% are ready to defend.
5. Phishing is also the most common type of attack on small businesses, in 57% of cases.
(Embroker)
Not only individuals are victims of phishing. The latest data shows that this type of attack is a common way to wreak havoc on small businesses. In total, 57% of attacks are phishing or social engineering. In addition, compromised or stolen devices occur in 33% of cases, and credential theft in 30%.
The Costs of Cybercrime
The costs of cyber attacks are high. At the moment, predictions show that the global losses will surpass $6 trillion by the end of 2021, and by 2025, companies will lose about $10.5 trillion in costs.
6. Global losses because of cybercrime reached $1 trillion in 2020.
(NBCDFW)
In 2020, cybercrime skyrocketed. Based on the data, global losses related to cybercrime topped $1 trillion. Unfortunately, by the end of 2021, they’re expected to reach $6 trillion.
7. Cybercrime will cost companies about $10.5 trillion by 2025.
(Embroker)
Other predictions show that cybercrime will cost companies about $10.5 trillion by 2025. Cyberattack threats will not stop, and at the moment, it represents the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history.
8. Companies around the world will spend $6 trillion on cybersecurity.
(Cybintsolutions)
At the moment, the number of organizations that realize the importance of cyber security is growing. These predictions show that organizations around the world will spend about $6 trillion on cyber security by 2021.
9. Businesses lose $75 billion annually because of ransomware attacks.
(Purplesec)
Being one of the most common types of attacks, ransomware makes businesses lose $75 billion annually. Some of the worst ransomware attacks involved NotPeyta, where losses reached $1 billion, and FedEx, which lost $300 million.
International Cyber Attack Statistics
Cyber attacks happen each day across the globe, and cyber warfare isn’t that rare either. Still, organizations will continue to improve their defense in the long run.
10. The global information security industry is forecasted to reach $170.4 billion by 2022.
(Varonis)
Organizations will start improving their methods of defense against cybercrime. This will lead to the increase of the global information security industry, which is expected to reach $170.4 billion by 2020.
11. By 2023, the total number of global DDoS attacks will reach 15.4 million.
(Cisco)
Worldwide cybercrime statistics show that the number of worldwide DDoS attacks will reach 15.4 million by 2023. For comparison, in 2018, this number was around 7.9 million.
12. More than half of consumers have experienced cybercrime.
(Norton)
In 2020, one in three consumers were victims of cyberattacks. Overall, more than half have experienced some sort of cybercrime. About 4% clicked on a fraudulent COVID-19 contact-tracing link, and another 4% paid a fee to receive COVID-19 relief money.
13. There are around 2,200 cyber attacks each day.
(Norton)
Regarding the number of cyberattacks per day, there are about 2,200. This equates to about one attack every 39 seconds. In 2020, the FBI received about 2,000 internet crime complaints daily.
14. In Canada, three in 10 organizations saw a spike in cybercrime.
(Packetlabs)
Three in 10 organizations in Canada saw a spike in cybercrime during the pandemic. Since March 2020, almost 25% of small businesses have been targets of cyberattacks. When it comes to cyberattack types, about 80% of businesses were hit by phishing and 50% by malware.
15. Close to 35% of global attacks originated in China or Russia.
(Privacyaffairs)
Many cyber attacks pass unnoticed. However, about 35% of global attacks came from Russia or China. There were 79 confirmed attacks on national governments from China and 75 from Russia. North Korea and Iran are next, sharing 16% of global attacks, followed by the US where 3% of attacks originated.
Cyber Attack Facts
Some of the most terrifying facts about cyberattacks show that outsiders cause most of the attacks. What’s more, one attack occurs every 11 seconds, and people must remain vigilant and ready to protect themselves.
16. A total of 95% of cybersecurity breaches happen because of human error.
(Titanfile)
Unfortunately, it turns out humans are mostly to blame for falling for cyber attacks. A total of 95% of breaches happen because of human error. These cybercrime statistics only show how crucial proper education of employees is for the prevention of cyberattacks.
17. Outsiders cause 70% of cyber attacks.
(Embroker)
In 70% of cyber attack cases, outsiders are behind the attacks. In 55% of cases, organized criminal groups are responsible for the attack, and in 30%, it’s bad internal actors.
18. The finance and insurance sector ranks as the #1 industry by attack volume.
(Securityintelligence)
In 2020, the finance and insurance sector ranked as the #1 industry based on attack volume. Data on cyber attacks by industry show that this rank is unchanged compared to 2019. Manufacturing is ranked second in 2020, while it ranked eighth in 2019. The energy sector was third in 2020, while it ranked ninth in 2019.
19. About 92% of malware is sent via email.
(Purplesec)
Email is still the primary method of malware delivery. About 92% of malware is sent via email. However, mobile malware is also on the rise, with a total of 98% of mobile malware targeting Android phones, according to malware statistics.
20. Windows executables are the most common malware files, in 74% of cases.
(Tessian)
In 74% of cases, the main malware used in cyber attacks was Windows executable. The second most common file involved script files, in 11% of cases. The least used malware files were Android executables, in less than 1% of cases.
21. Average ransomware payment in 2020 reached $111,605.
(Varonis)
Many organizations face issues with ransomware. These attacks became so scary that the average ransomware payments also increased 33% from 2019 to 2020, reaching $111,605, according to cyber security attack statistics.
22. One cyber attack happens every 11 seconds.
(Packetlabs)
Ransomware attacks on businesses have become so common that from 2021 onwards, one organization will suffer from an attack every 11 seconds. Additionally, the number of ransom-paying organizations has increased from 26% in 2020 to 32% in 2021.
23. About 53% of adults admit they don’t know how to protect themselves against cybercrime.
(Norton)
Another worrisome fact is that 53% of adults say they don’t know how to stay protected from cybercrime. The same percentage of people also agree that remote work makes it easier for hackers to attack.
Conclusion
These scary cyberattack statistics show that more organizations than ever became victims of cybercrime. Ransomware, DDoS attacks, and phishing numbers are growing and show no sign of slowing down.
Unfortunately, most of the problems come from human error, as many adults admit they don’t know how to protect themselves from attacks.
Still, organizations around the world will invest more in the cyber security of their systems – forecasts show that around $6 trillion will flow into protection. It remains to be seen how successful it will be.
FAQ
The pandemic forced people to shift to remote work and online transactions more than ever before. Unfortunately, this opened new doors for various cyber attacks. This is why there’s a noticeable 600% increase in cybercrime around the globe.
Phishing and ransomware remain the most common attacks although DDoS attacks will also grow in the future. Attackers also use WHO and CDC for scams in many cyber attacks, leading people into opening their emails and clicking the malicious links.
Organizations in certain industries are more likely to fall victim to cyber attacks than others. However, the industry also dictates how attackers will behave and what type of attack they’ll use to breach security.
For example, the finance and insurance sector ranks were the most attacked industry in 2020. Manufacturing was second on the list, and energy was third, based on the volumes of attacks. Additionally, the healthcare industry also saw an increase in cyber threats.
Cyber attacks have become so common that one attack per organization occurs every 11 seconds. Based on the FBI reports, it received about 2,000 internet complaints daily, related to cyber attacks, which equates to about one attack per 39 seconds, be it businesses or individuals.
Some of the most common attacks involved phishing, DDoS, and similar. At the moment, cybercriminals pose as WHO or CDC representatives, luring their victims to click on a link about COVID-19, relief funds, and news.
Even though many cyber attacks pass unnoticed, experts can still conclude where they came from. Globally, 35% of attacks come from Russia or China, followed by North Korea and Iran. When it comes to the US, only 31% of global attacks came from that region.
Regarding the people behind the data breaches, in 70% of cases, those people are outsiders. In 55% of cases, they belong to the organized criminal group and in 30% of cases it’s bad internal actors, according to cyber attack statistics.