In today’s world, where our lives are increasingly intertwined with digital devices and online activities, the threat of cybercrime is more real and alarming than ever. Cybercriminals are not just getting smarter—they’re getting bolder, targeting individuals and organizations alike with tactics that are as innovative as they are destructive. Whether you’re a tech expert or just someone who uses the internet daily, it’s crucial to be aware of the dangers lurking online.
At the heart of these cyber attacks is a relentless pursuit of personal information—your name, passwords, and financial details—which can be sold on the dark web for profit. These attacks can strike at any moment, leaving victims to deal with the aftermath, which can be both financially and emotionally devastating.
Understanding who is most at risk, the types of cyber threats that are most common, and the potential consequences is key to protecting yourself. The costs of a cyberattack can be staggering, not just in terms of money but also in the long-term damage to trust and security. The following cybersecurity statistics will give you a clearer picture of the current landscape, emphasizing the importance of staying vigilant and securing your digital life.
Cybersecurity Statistics
In 2023, there were 2,365 cyberattacks affecting 343,338,964 victims. In 2023, the United States witnessed an unprecedented rise in data breaches, exposures, leaks, and other data compromise events, reaching a total of 3,205 incidents. This marks a record-breaking year, surpassing two critical milestones: the highest number of reported data events in a single year and the first time that over 2,000, and ultimately more than 3,000, such events occurred in just one year. (1)
In 2023, the number of data breaches and other security incidents saw a significant increase, rising by 78% compared to the previous year. This also represents a 72% increase from the previous record of 1,860 incidents set in 2021. (1)
In 2024, the average cost of a data breach rose to $4.88 million, up from $4.45 million in 2023, marking a 10% increase—the largest since the pandemic began. This spike was largely driven by the higher costs associated with lost business, including operational downtime and losing customers. Additionally, expenses related to post-breach actions, such as staffing customer service help desks and facing increased regulatory fines, also contributed to the rise. (2)
Last year, investment fraud remained the most costly crime tracked by IC3. Losses from investment scams increased from $3.31 billion in 2022 to $4.57 billion in 2023, marking a 38% rise. These scams are designed to lure in victims with the promise of high returns on their investments, making them seem like a quick and easy way to make money. (3)
The second most expensive crime type was business email compromise (BEC), with 21,489 complaints leading to $2.9 billion in reported losses. BEC is a type of scam that targets businesses and people who handle money transfers. Scammers often hack into real business email accounts using tricks or by breaking into computers. Once they gain access, they use the account to make unauthorized money transfers, tricking others into sending funds to the wrong place. (3)
- Jobs for information security analysts are expected to grow by 32% from 2022 to 2032, which is much faster than the average growth rate for all other occupations. An information security analyst is responsible for protecting an organization’s computer networks, systems, and databases from cyber incidents and data breaches. These professionals are especially important in companies that handle sensitive data, ensuring that all critical information remains secure and protected from unauthorized access. (4)
2024 Global IT Security Spending Growth, by Segment
Cloud security was anticipated to experience nearly 25 percent growth from 2023 to 2024, positioning it as the fastest-growing segment in the IT security market. This reflects the rising importance of protecting sensitive information and securing cloud-based systems in an increasingly digital world. (5)
Common Cybersecurity Attack Types
Phishing incidents remained the most common crime, with 298,878 cases in 2023, slightly decreasing from 300,497 in 2022. Phishing attacks often take advantage of human error. Even though most people usually follow good practices for email security, there’s always a small percentage who either forget or disregard the rules, making them vulnerable to these scams. (3)
Non-payment/non-delivery crimes dropped from 108,869 cases in 2019 to 50,523 in 2023, showing a significant decline. Non-delivery scams occur when you pay for goods or services online, but the items you purchase never arrive. On the other hand, non-payment scams happen when you send out goods or provide services, but the buyer never sends the payment. (3)
Tech support fraud has steadily increased, rising from 13,633 incidents in 2019 to 37,560 in 2023. Tech support scams are a common problem where criminals try to scare you into paying for unnecessary technical support. They claim your device or software has issues that don’t actually exist, hoping you’ll give them money to fix these fake problems. (3)
1. Phishing
Phishing is a technique used by scammers to steal sensitive information, such as bank account numbers, by pretending to be a legitimate business or trusted individual. They typically do this through fake emails or websites that look real, tricking victims into providing personal details.
79% of account takeover attacks began with phishing. These security breaches can lead to unauthorized access, data theft, and significant disruptions, highlighting the importance of robust cybersecurity measures across all levels of business operations. (6)
52% of cybersecurity leaders are stressed by phishing attacks originating from compromised supply chain email accounts. (6)
47% of leaders worry about account takeover (ATO) incidents occurring within their organizations due to phishing. (6)
Microsoft ranked as the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks, accounting for 33% of all such attempts. The technology sector as a whole emerged as the most targeted industry, making it particularly vulnerable to these kinds of cyber threats. (7)
Amazon and Google followed, with 9% and 8% of brand phishing events, respectively. (7)
Apple and Wells Fargo each represented 4% and 3% of phishing events, rounding out the top five. (7)
2. Malware
Malware, short for “malicious software,” is a type of file or code that is typically delivered over a network. Once it infects a system, it can carry out a variety of harmful activities, such as stealing data, spying on users, or performing any other action the attacker desires. Malware is designed to exploit vulnerabilities in systems to gain unauthorized access and cause damage or disruption.
The number of ransomware attack victims surged by 128.17% from the previous year (2022), with 1,837 more incidents reported. Ransomware is a type of malware that blocks your access to your device and the data stored on it, typically by encrypting your files. The attackers then demand a ransom in exchange for a decryption key. In some cases, the computer itself may be locked, or the data on it could be encrypted, stolen, or even deleted, making it inaccessible until the ransom is paid. (8)
- Destructive attacks, which are designed to cause lasting and significant damage, averaged USD 5.68 million in costs, making them more expensive than both ransomware and data exfiltration attacks. (2)
3. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal functioning of a website, computer, or online service by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic. This surge in traffic consumes the target’s resources, making it unable to handle legitimate requests and effectively forcing it offline. These attacks can cause significant downtime and disruption, impacting both the target and its users.
Notable victims of DDoS attacks include Amazon Web Services (AWS), GitHub, and Dyn. DDoS attacks are becoming increasingly common and are occurring on a much larger scale than ever before. (9)
In fact, there’s been an almost 300% increase in these attacks year over year, and experts predict that this trend will only continue to worsen. (9)
4. Personal Data Breaches
A personal data breach occurs when there is a security lapse that results in unauthorized access, loss, or alteration of personal information. This can happen either accidentally, such as through an unintended disclosure, or through intentional actions like theft. These breaches can lead to serious consequences, including identity theft, financial loss, and damage to privacy.
In 2023, data breaches affected 353,027,892 individuals. This represents a 72% increase in incidents compared to the previous record and a 78% rise compared to 2022. (1)
Cybersecurity Demographics by Gender
A 2023 study found that approximately 70% of cybersecurity professionals aged 60 or older in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland were white men. (11)
The proportion of non-white men in this age group was 15%, while white and non-white women aged 60 or older accounted for approximately 13% and 2%, respectively. (11)
In contrast, non-white men made up 40% of the cybersecurity workforce under 30, while non-white women in this age group accounted for 18%. (11)
460 bachelor’s degrees in Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism are earned by males, while 147 are earned by females. (12)
In 2021-2022 428 master’s degrees in Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism are earned by males, while 190 are earned by females. (12)
U.S. Cybercrime Victims in 2023, by Age Group
Adults aged 60 and over experienced the highest financial losses from cybercrime in 2023, totaling $3.4 billion, with 101,068 complaints. (3)
The Impact of Cybercrime Costs
For the 14th consecutive year, the United States recorded the highest average cost of a data breach among the 16 countries and regions analyzed, with the cost reaching $9.36 million. This figure underscores the significant financial impact of data breaches in the U.S., where organizations face steep expenses related to both the breach itself and the aftermath, such as regulatory fines, lost business, and recovery efforts. (2)
The average cost of a data breach in the healthcare sector decreased by 10.6%, dropping to USD 9.77 million. The healthcare industry continues to be a prime target for cyberattacks due to its reliance on outdated technologies and its vulnerability to disruptions. These weaknesses can severely impact patient safety, making healthcare organizations especially attractive to attackers. (2)
Cybersecurity Careers and Job Prospects
The global shortage of cybersecurity professionals is expanding rapidly, with the workforce gap growing by 13% from 2022 to 2023. This increase highlights the urgent need for around 4 million additional cybersecurity experts worldwide to meet current demands. To close this gap and achieve full capacity, the cybersecurity workforce would need to nearly double, emphasizing the critical need for more trained professionals in this field to combat the growing threats. (11)
In 2023, the median salary for information security analysts was $120,360 annually or $57.87 per hour in 2023. (4)
- In January 2024, 265,992 job openings required CompTIA Security+, and 91,765 sought CISSP certification. (13)
- As of January 2024, the highest-paying cybersecurity roles include Cyber Security Manager at $162,426 and Cybersecurity Architect at $150,277 per year. (14)
Cybersecurity Threats
Adversaries are increasingly shifting their focus to cloud environments, with a significant 75% rise observed in 2023. (15)
Cloud-focused cases rose by 110%, while cloud-independent cases saw a 60% year-over-year increase from 2022 to 2023. (15)
A recent survey found that 82% of respondents believe generative AI bots will eventually take over jobs and tasks currently performed by humans. (16)
86% believe that generative AI will help bridge skills gaps and address shortages within their security teams. The outlook on generative AI’s role in security is generally positive across all regions (16)
AI offers significant opportunities to enhance employees’ skills and education. Specifically, 39% of organizations are focusing on educating their employees about the threats posed by generative AI, while 37% are working on establishing clear protocols to determine which tasks are appropriate for AI bots to handle. (16)
35% report that their boards provide sufficient cybersecurity budgets. (16)
Nearly a third (31%) of respondents reported project delays or postponements due to insufficient funding, while 30% noted their team couldn’t support a business initiative. (16)
82% of respondents believe ignoring security best practices and compliance mandates endangers the business. (16)
Cybercrime Financial Losses in the U.S. by State in 2023
Data Compromises and Affected Individuals in the U.S. (2005-2023)
Global Cybersecurity Gap Assessment by Country in 2023.
In 2023, China required over 1,720,941 cybersecurity professionals, while India needed nearly 800,000. (11)
Final Thought
As we look ahead, it’s clear that the battle against cyber threats is only intensifying. The cybersecurity industry stands at a critical juncture, where the rise in malware attacks, ransomware attacks, and mobile phishing attacks demands a proactive and skilled response. The increasing prevalence of identity theft and the growing complexity of cyber attack nuisance highlight the urgent need for a robust cybersecurity workforce.
Security leaders across industries are not only tasked with monitoring these threats but also with ensuring their teams are equipped to handle them. This calls for continuous collaboration between skilled cybersecurity professionals, government agencies, and private organizations. Together, they must build a resilient defense system that can adapt to the evolving tactics of cybercriminals.
The future of cybersecurity isn’t just about deploying the latest technology—it’s about fostering a workforce capable of staying ahead of the curve. As we train the next generation of cybersecurity experts, it’s essential to focus on education, skill development, and a deep understanding of the threats we face. By doing so, we can create a safer digital world where innovation thrives without fear of compromise. The time to act is now, and the responsibility lies with all of us to protect the digital spaces we rely on every day.
Sources
- ITRC 2023 Annual Data Breach Report
- Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024
- FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: INTERNET CRIME REPORT 2023
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Information Security Analysts
- Gartner Forecasts Global Security and Risk Management Spending to Grow 14% in 2024
- Email Security Risk Report 2024
- Microsoft Returns to the Top Spot as the Most Imitated Brand in Phishing Attacks for Q4 2023
- Ransomware attacks break records in 2023: the number of victims rose by 128%
- Top 5 Most Famous DDoS Attacks
- Top Ten Fraudulent Categories
- ISC2 CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE STUDY: How the Economy, Skills Gap and Artificial Intelligence are Challenging the Global Cybersecurity Workforce 2023
- Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by sex of student and field of study: Academic year 2021-22
- Cybersecurity Supply/Demand Heat Map
- Cybersecurity Career Pathway
- Crowdstrike 2024 Threat Hunting Report
- The CISO Report: Emerging trends, threats and strategies for today’s security leaders
