Cybersecurity in Numbers

Cybersecurity issues are increasingly becoming a daily headache for businesses. In recent years, the number and scale of data breaches and thefts have grown dramatically, with incidents often occurring at workplaces, on mobile devices, and through IoT devices. We’ve compiled 60 key cybersecurity trends that every manager or employee should be aware of, especially if they might encounter cybersecurity challenges.

Introduction

The main question we’ll explore is: How serious is the potential risk of a breach for a company that neglects basic security measures? According to recent studies, most companies have unsecured data, and many cybersecurity practices leave much to be desired. Naturally, this makes them vulnerable to targeted attacks.

Data Breaches by the Numbers

Recent trends show not only an increase in the number of data breaches but also in their scale. Massive breaches that once seemed unimaginable are now a reality, affecting even the world’s largest corporations—organizations whose cybersecurity should be beyond question. Here are some key figures to illustrate the situation:

• In 2016, it was revealed that data from 3 billion Yahoo accounts had been stolen by hackers. This remains one of the most significant breaches in recent history.
• Also in 2016, Uber reported that cybercriminals accessed information on over 57 million customers and drivers.
• In 2017, 412 million user accounts from the adult service FriendFinder were stolen in a cyberattack.
• 2017 also saw the massive Equifax breach, compromising data of 147.9 million Americans. Hackers exploited a vulnerability in the company’s website application, gaining access to Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and, in some cases, driver’s license numbers.
• According to 2017 statistics, the U.S. experienced over 130 large-scale breaches from targeted cyberattacks—a 27% increase from the previous year.
• 31% of organizations faced cyberattacks on their operational technology infrastructure, according to Cisco.
• More than 400,000 computers in at least 150 countries were infected by the WannaCry ransomware in 2017, causing an estimated $4 billion in damages worldwide.
• Cryptojacking attacks increased by 8,500% last year.
• 5.4 billion WannaCry attacks were blocked throughout 2017.
• About 24,000 malicious mobile apps are blocked every day.
• In 2017, the average number of compromised records per country was 24,089. India had the highest number (over 33,000 files), followed by the U.S. (28,500).
• In March 2018, data from users of the MyFitnessPal mobile app was stolen. Under Armour, the American company that owns the app, reported about 150 million affected users.
• From January 1, 2005, to April 18, 2018, there were 8,854 recorded data breaches.

Cybersecurity Costs in Numbers

The average cost of recovering from breaches and cyberattacks has risen sharply, and the financial impact of cybercrime can be devastating for companies that fail to invest in cybersecurity. Consider these figures:

• In 2017, cybercrime costs increased by 23% compared to 2016, averaging $11.7 million.
• The average loss per company from a malware attack is $2.4 million.
• On average, a single attack results in 50 days of downtime for a company.
• Cybersecurity spending grew by 22.7% from 2016 to 2017.
• The average global cost of cybercrime rose by more than 27%.
• The most expensive aspect of a cyberattack for businesses is information loss, accounting for 43% of all costs caused by breaches.
• In 2017, losses from ransomware attacks exceeded $5 billion—15 times higher than in 2015.
• The Equifax breach cost the credit bureau over $4 billion in total.
• The average cost of lost or stolen data per person is $141, though this varies significantly by country.
• The most expensive breaches occur in the U.S. ($225 per record) and Canada ($190 per record).
• For companies with more than 50,000 compromised records, the average loss is $6.3 million.
• Customer and reputational issues from breaches hit American companies hardest, with average losses of $4.13 million per company.
• By 2021, cybercrime damages are projected to reach $6 trillion.

More Cybersecurity Facts and Figures

It’s crucial for businesses to understand the overall landscape of cybersecurity threats, including the most common types of attacks, how they’re carried out, and where they originate. Here are some additional insights:

• The highest percentage of ransomware detections occurs in countries with the most accessible internet. The U.S. leads with 18.2% of all such malware attacks.
• The infamous Ramnit trojan heavily targeted the financial sector in 2017, with 53% of attacks hitting this industry.
• About 60% of malicious domains are linked to spam campaigns.
• 74% of companies have more than 1,000 outdated sensitive files.
• Malware and network attacks are the two most costly types of attacks for companies, with organizations spending an average of $2.4 million to defend against them.
• The financial services industry faces the highest costs from cybercrime, averaging $18.3 million per company.
• Microsoft Office files (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) are the most common group of malicious file extensions, making up 38% of the total.
• About 20% of malicious domains are brand new, used within a week of registration.
• Over 20% of cyberattacks in 2017 originated from China, 11% from the U.S., and 6% from Russia.
• The highest percentage of apps with cybersecurity issues are “lifestyle” apps, 27% of which are malicious. Among music and audio apps, 20% are malicious.
• Malicious apps most often leak phone numbers (63%) and device location (37%) to attackers.
• Last year, targeted phishing became the main vector for spreading malware, with 71% of cybercriminal groups using this method.
• From 2015 to 2017, the U.S. suffered the most from targeted cyberattacks, with 303 large-scale incidents recorded.
• In 2017, the total volume of malware increased by 88%.
• The most commonly detected malware includes Heur.AdvML.C, Heur.AdvML.B, and JS.Downloader.
• By 2020, the number of passwords used by people and machines is expected to reach 300 billion.