If there's one thing you need to consider when using your day-to-day devices, it's your cybersecurity. Your smartphone, laptop, tablet, and even your printer can get hacked or infected with malware, with our reliance on the internet making it easier and easier for cybercriminals to get their hands on your precious data and money.
So here are some of the most shocking cybersecurity statistics in the U.S today, to help better understand the current threat level.
1. The Prevalence of Phishing Scams in the U.S.
Phishing is an incredibly common kind of cybercrime, as it can be very convincing and subtle in its nature, with even the most experienced internet users falling for such swindles. In fact, phishing was found to be the most prevalent digital crime in the U.S in 2020, with over 240,000 victims affected. The popularity of this scam speaks to its success rate, as impersonating official companies and government bodies can work surprisingly well.
2. Phishing Scam Success Rates in the U.S.
Given that over 240,000 U.S residents suffered a phishing attack in 2020, it's safe to say it's a scam that works. But let's frame this relative to those who don't fall for this kind of scam; that way, we can truly understand the chance a cybercriminal has of being successful in this illicit venture.
In 2020, a staggering 74 percent of U.S companies reported that they fell victim to a successful phishing attack. This is an incredibly alarming statistic and shows just how convincing and sophisticated phishing tactics have become.
3. Most Targeted Industries for Phishing in the U.S.
When it comes to phishing, cybercriminals target some industries more than others, with the most targeted industry in the U.S being the technology sector. In 2020, 71.8 percent of all phishing attacks recorded in the U.S. came in the form of impersonation attempts within the tech industry.
Impersonation can be a particularly effective tactic, as it doesn't take a lot of effort or technological resources to convincingly impersonate another individual.
4. Ransomware Attacks in the U.S.
On top of phishing, ransomware is another commonly used cybercrime method around the world, including in the United States. Ransomware is a kind of malware that is used to pause or control an organization's digital systems, or hold a person or company's precious data ransom until the requested sum of money (or ransom) is paid.
In the first half of 2021, over 2,000 complaints were made to the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) about ransomware, and these complaints alone amassed $16.8 million in financial losses. Additionally, 32 percent of all ransomware victims agreed to pay the requested ransom in 2021, as a ransomware attack can have catastrophic effects on a company or individual, especially if the ransom is not paid. It's this fear that cybercriminals exploit in such attacks.
5. The Frequency of Ransomware Attacks in the U.S.
Out of all the countries in the world, the U.S. experienced the highest number of ransomware attacks in the first half of 2021. Over half of all the world's ransomware victims, 54.9 percent, to be precise, were living within the States in 2021. There were also 10 countries that made up 84 percent of all ransomware victims across the globe in 2021.
6. Cybercrime and Human Error
Surprisingly, a lot of the cybercrimes conducted in the U.S. are successful as a result of human error. In fact, 95 percent of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error, meaning some huge data leaks and financial losses have been the result of mistakes made by unknowing individuals or company staff.
On top of this, the average employee has access to 11 million different files, so any mistakes they make could lead to a very damaging outcome.
7. Data Breach Damage
Data breaches can spell trouble for anyone, but huge organizational data breaches can put the privacy and security of thousands or millions of individuals at risk. What's more, data breaches can be very costly. The average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million in 2020, which rose to $4.24 million in 2021. This is the highest average data breach cost recorded in 17 years!
What's more, 212.4 million people were affected by data breaches in the U.S. in 2021. That's over 60 percent of the nation's total population—a 21.8 percent increase from 2021, which indicates that data breaches are becoming more and more commonplace.
8. COVID-19's Global Effect on Cybercrime
Every nation was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020 and 2021, but how exactly did this worldwide phenomenon affect cybercrime? Let's keep in mind here that the pandemic resulted in hundreds of lockdowns globally: people were stuck at home, often using technology to stay entertained. Additionally, the pandemic led to a huge increase in work-from-home positions, where people had to use their own devices to do their job (many of which may not have had adequate protection from malware).
This extra reliance on technology created a lucrative niche for cybercriminals. In May 2020, the FBI revealed a 300 percent increase in reported cybercrime.
Fake PPE giveaways, phony COVID contact or vaccine texts, and stimulus check scams were among the most prevalent kinds of pandemic-related cybercrime being conducted, with people being swindled out of their personal data and cash on a daily basis.
9. The Frequency of Cyberattacks in the U.S.
Given that cybercrime is so prevalent, it's no surprise that a computer is attacked by a cybercriminal every 39 seconds within the U.S. This means that over 2,000 U.S. devices are targeted every single day, be it through malware, phishing, harassment, or otherwise, which highlights the level of danger posed to any given individual when they use their trusty devices.
That's doubly sad considering that many scams are relatively easy to side-step; phishing, for example, can often be avoided by using link-checking sites on URLs included in emails.
10. The Overall Cost of Cybercrime in the U.S.
You might be wondering just how much cybercrime costs us. It's thought that the successful cybercrime attacks made within the U.S. have resulted in damages ranging between $57 billion and $100 billion, a truly mammoth amount.
Additionally, it has been predicted that the cybercrime industry will grow to a value of almost $232 billion in 2022, with scammers finding more sophisticated and effective ways to trick victims.
Cybercrime Is a Worldwide Issue, but You Can Protect Yourself
It's natural to assume that you'll never be the victim of a cyberattack, but this simply isn't true. The chances of being swindled by a cybercriminal increase every year, so it's crucial that you protect your devices adequately whenever possible.
Antivirus software, VPNs, link-checking websites, and anti-spam tools can all be used to dodge these malicious attackers and keep yourself and your data safe.