Reflecting on how cybercrime and cybersecurity have evolved through time and into what we see now is a positive start toward defending your company from attacks in the future. The latest statistics show that cybercrime is on the rise, just as technical improvements are.
Since cybercriminals aren’t going away anytime soon, it’s critical to be informed of the developments and statistics that have affected and will continue to affect your company’s security in 2022. Let’s take a look at 10 of the most important cybersecurity stats in 2022.
- Small businesses are the target of 43% of cyberattacks
Attacks against small and medium-sized businesses are becoming increasingly common. According to Accenture’s Ninth Annual Cost of Cybercrime Study, while small businesses are targeted in 43% of cyberattacks, just 14% are prepared, informed, and capable of securing their networks and data.
This may come as a surprise to small business owners who assume their company isn’t on cybercriminals’ radar. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Any organization that does not have adequate defenses in place is at risk of being a victim.
- Emails account for 96% of all phishing attempts
Phishing is a cyberattack in which attackers mimic reputable senders using email, text messages, advertisements, and other ways in order to obtain sensitive information.
According to Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigation Report, email is used in 96% of phishing attacks. Because of the rise in phishing attacks, email communication networks are increasingly infested with malware.
- By 2025, cybercrime will cost the world $10.5 trillion per year
Global cybercrime expenses are expected to increase by 15% each year over the next five years. This means that it will reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015. This is the largest transfer of economic wealth in history, and tenfold greater than the damage caused by natural catastrophes in a year.
- 86% of organizations say remote work will continue after lockdown
Workers are more exposed to cyberattacks than ever before, with the majority of jobs being completed online and without the security measures in place that are offered in office environments. 74% of the companies polled in a study claim 50-100% of their employees work from home, and 86% believe the trend will continue after the lockdown.
- In 2021, almost every sort of cyberattack increased
Over the course of 2021, the volume of nearly every type of cyber attack increased. The number of encrypted threats increased by 167%, ransomware increased by 105%, crypto-jacking increased by 19%, intrusion attempts increased by 11%, and IoT malware increased by 6%.
- Bitcoin accounts for $76 billion in the cybercrime economy
Bitcoin is the favorite cryptocurrency of hackers. According to a study, Bitcoin is involved in around $76 billion in illegal activity per year, which is comparable to the size of the illegal drug markets in the United States and Europe.
- Cyber insurance will be a $20 billion business by 2025
Cyber insurance is a type of coverage designed to safeguard your company from digital dangers including data breaches and harmful cyber intrusions. Cyber insurance is currently a large industry, but it has the potential to expand even more in the future. Cyber insurance is expected to become a $20 billion business by 2025, according to projections.
- In 2021, 80% of enterprises were struck by ransomware
Ransomware is one of the most rapidly evolving cyber dangers in recent history. In 2021, 80% of companies surveyed by Forbes were hit by ransomware attacks and paid ransom demands.
- Insider privilege misuse was experienced by 34% of businesses
Privilege abuse is a type of privilege misuse that is either fraudulent or malevolent. According to research, insider privilege misuse affected 34% of business environment respondents.
- A data breach takes 280 days to discover and control
Companies take an average of 280 days to find the source of a data breach, however, this amount varies depending on the business.
Conclusion
Every other day, new frauds and data breaches hit the news. Managing your privacy and keeping your data secure is more crucial than ever. Implementing the right controls, training on cybersecurity, and following established best practices are some of the most effective ways to accomplish security.
