Eye-Opening Hacking Statistics to Keep You Cyber-Savvy

In today’s digital age, the threat of hacking and cyberattacks is an ever-present reality. While many are aware of the importance of protecting their data, the extent of this risk often goes underestimated. Statistics reveal an alarming picture. The profound shift towards a digitally-driven world has given rise to a pervasive wave of cyber threats across various industries, underscoring the importance of cybersecurity, no matter what business you’re in.

Let’s Get to the Stats

• More than 22 billion corporate records were leaked in 2022 alone. This puts many customers at serious risk of identity theft.
• Ransomware attacks occur every 2 seconds. This includes email scams, phishing, and malware.
• Cyber criminals are not just targeting big corporations. In fact, 43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses who are often far less prepared to respond to a breach.
• Corporate data breach costs are projected to reach $5 million by 2023. That number is not the total shared between all corporations, but the average cost of one corporate data breach alone.
• It’s not always savvy criminals and complex hacking codes that are allowing for data breaches. 95% of cyberattacks result from human error.
• The problem is ongoing without a break. On average, about 30,000 websites are hacked daily across the globe.
• As we become wise to tactics, the cyber criminals adjust their strategies. 300,000 new malware instances are produced daily.
• Phishing emails are responsible for 91% of all cyber-attacks against large corporations.

The numbers are big, and the statistics are scary. Businesses of all sizes need to take a hard look at these numbers and keep this in mind when developing their cyber security protocols.

Social Media Hacking Statistics

Hackers are not only focused on going after corporations. Social media sites are a gold mine of personal information for cyber criminals. Because the information often seems so innocent, users may let their guard down and employ weak passwords, or worse, willingly share their information. Some of the scariest social media hacking statistics include:

• Over 1 million Facebook accounts were compromised in 2022, although it seems that most users were able to escape the threat unscathed.
• Phishing attempts via email account for 80% of malware infections and 95% of espionage attacks. Scams are carefully designed to fool recipients into believing that the emails are coming from a legitimate source.
• Over 90% of every generation using social media doesn’t trust any of the platforms to protect their data. Older generations have the least amount of trust in social media, but no age group feels that social media is somewhere they can be safe.
• Phishing scams on social media platforms make up over a third of data breaches. 36% of data breaches in 2022 involved phishing via email.
• Not only are phishing emails there to trick you into revealing your personal information, but 50% of phishing attacks contain links to malware, which can hijack your device to steal additional data, commit fraud, or take over your system.

Beyond the statistics, consumers have other concerns about social media. Nearly half of users have ethical concerns regarding targeted advertisements and product recommendations, as they recognize that these are targeted by gathering personal data. Not only that, but social media has become a place where cyber criminals can also meet and share. Criminal discussions in private social media groups are a real risk, and so far, many groups are allowed to continue unchecked by the platforms. By honing their skills, criminal hackers’ global revenue is high, although difficult to document.

Email Phishing Statistics

Although some statistics were discussed alongside social media, cyber criminals will often target email specifically for businesses. Cyber criminals know that many businesses, particularly senior management, can engage in some very risky behavior with their business files, and targeting those employees can pay off. Some email specific statistics include:

• Over 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent daily. This is approximately 1.2% of all email.
• Opening a suspicious email is bad enough, but clicking on any links you don’t completely trust can be catastrophic. 54% of phishing emails also contain malware or redirect you through infected links.
• Phishing emails are responsible for 91% of attacks on enterprise-class corporations. When this statistic was tested with simulated phishing emails, it held up, and 91% of the emails were opened.
• 46% of hackers disseminating malware use email exclusively. Taking care with your email is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and your business.

Corporate and Small-Business Hacking Statistics

Over 112 million IoT (Internet of Things) malware attacks were detected in 2022. As more IoT technology enters the workplace, we have increased convenience, but greater security risks as well. All corporations and small businesses need a cybersecurity incident response plan. The size of the company doesn’t matter.

• 46% of data breach victims are from companies with less than 1000 employees.
• It can take most businesses nearly seven months to detect and contain data breaches.
• Nearly 63% of organizations do not have an adequate cyber security plan.

Data security spend is at an all-time high, and for good reason. The importance of cyber security in the digital age has never been greater. No matter what you think your risk is, employing strategies to defend against cyber threats is crucial. Rather than pushing it out of your mind, take these statistics seriously and keep your digital self protected with prompt software updates, good password creation, regular checks with antivirus software, and awareness of phishing schemes. To learn more about cyber security, check out AccuShred’s blog for more discussions on how to keep your data safe.