The Latest 2023 Cyber Crime Statistics (till September 2023)

As a seasoned provider of IT Support Services, we have developed this indispensable handbook. Examine the manner in which the field of cyber security has responded to a dynamic and evolving panorama of threats, as evidenced by the most recent statistical data on cybercrime, which has been revised to reflect the developments up to September 2023.

Headline Cyber Crime Statistics

• Approximately one billion emails were compromised within a span of one year, resulting in an impact on approximately 20% of internet users.
• In the year 2022, organizations incurred an average financial loss of $4.35 million as a result of data breaches.
• A total of around 236.1 million instances of ransomware assaults were recorded on a global scale during the initial six months of the year 2022.
• In the year 2021, over 50% of internet users in the United States experienced a breach of their online accounts.
• In 2022, a significant proportion of firms in the United Kingdom, specifically 39%, experienced the detrimental impact of a cyber assault.
• Approximately 10% of organizations in the United States lack insurance coverage for cyber assaults.
• In the initial six months of 2022, a total of 53.35 million individuals residing in the United States experienced the impact of cybercrime.
• In the year 2022, UK firms had an average financial burden of £4200 as a result of cybercrime.
• The year 2020 witnessed a significant surge in malware attacks, with a staggering increase of 358% when compared to the preceding year, 2019.
• Phishing stands as the prevailing cyber danger encountered by both enterprises and people.

Cyber Crime Overview

In recent years, there has been a notable escalation in the number and severity of threats within the global cyber security scene. During the global pandemic, cybercriminals exploited the vulnerabilities of misaligned networks that arose due to the transition of enterprises towards remote work settings. The year 2020 witnessed a substantial surge of 358% in malware assaults when compared to the preceding year, 2019.

The global incidence of cyber attacks had a notable surge of 125% throughout the year 2021, with a persistent upward trend in the volume of such attacks posing ongoing threats to both enterprises and individuals in the year 2022.

The incursion of Russia into Ukraine has significantly influenced the cyber threat environment. The frequency of phishing attacks originating from Russia and targeting email addresses associated with organizations located in Europe and the United States has experienced a significant eight-fold surge since the commencement of the war. In the first quarter of 2022, there was an observed 11% increase in the number of Russian internet users, totaling around 3.6 million individuals, who reported experiencing breaches.

In 2022, the United Kingdom initiated the ‘Ukraine Cyber Programme’ as a measure to safeguard Ukrainian critical infrastructure from potential Russian assaults. In reaction to the escalation of Russian cyber operations subsequent to the Ukraine incursion, the United Kingdom promptly allocated an initial financial package amounting to £6.35 million. The aforementioned program offers incident response services aimed at safeguarding governmental bodies in Ukraine against cyber assaults. Additionally, it provides distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection to ensure that Ukrainian residents may continue to access crucial information. Furthermore, the program includes the implementation of firewalls to effectively counteract and prevent attacks.

Phishing continues to be the predominant kind of cybercrime perpetrated on the internet. According to reports, a total of 323,972 internet users were purportedly targeted and affected by phishing attempts in the year 2021. This implies that 50% of the individuals who experienced a data breach were successfully targeted by a phishing attempt. During the peak of the global pandemic, there was a notable increase of 220% in the occurrence of phishing cases.

In the year 2021, a significant number of emails, amounting to about 1 billion, were compromised, so impacting approximately 20% of individuals who utilize the internet. One possible factor contributing to the ongoing predominance of phishing attempts could be attributed to this phenomenon.

Although phishing is a widespread phenomenon, it is noteworthy that it has been associated with the lowest financial losses for its victims. On average, individuals have incurred a financial loss of $136 as a result of falling victim to phishing attempts. The aforementioned figure is significantly lower than the mean cost of a data breach, which is estimated to be $12,124. Please access our webpage on phishing statistics to stay updated on current global trends in phishing.

In the year 2022, investment fraud emerged as the most financially burdensome manifestation of cybercrime, resulting in an average loss of $70,811 per victim.

The evidence suggests that there is a notable upward trend in both the frequency and financial implications of data breaches. Since the year 2001, there has been a notable escalation in the number of victims, with the rate rising from 6 victims per hour to 97 victims per hour. This is a substantial increase of 1517% over a span of 20 years.

The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably had a significant influence on the number of individuals affected on an hourly basis. According to the cybercrime statistics of 2019, the frequency of victims per hour was recorded at 53. In the year 2020, which marked the initial complete year of the global pandemic, there was a notable escalation in the number of casualties every hour, reaching a total of 90 individuals. This figure represents a substantial rise of 69% compared to previous periods.

The global average cost of data breaches per hour has likewise shown an upward trend. In the year 2001, the mean hourly cost incurred by individuals amounted to $2054. Subsequently, the rate of hourly loss has experienced an upward trend, reaching a value of $787,671 in the year 2021.

The financial impact of data breaches on enterprises has exhibited a consistent upward trend due to evolving workplace dynamics and the growing sophistication of cyber thieves, resulting in more audacious penetration techniques. In the year 2022, it was observed that organizations incurred an average cost of $4.35 million due to data breaches, which is an increase from the previous year’s average cost of $4.24 million in 2021.

The escalating risk posed to organizations on a global scale has led to a heightened level of importance being placed on the issue of cyber security. A significant majority (73%) of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) acknowledge the necessity of addressing cyber security risks and see the need for immediate action. Moreover, an even higher percentage (78%) of SMBs express their intention to augment their financial commitment to cyber security measures within the upcoming year.

One alarming statistic reveals that a significant proportion of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), namely 67%, express a lack of confidence in possessing the necessary internal expertise to effectively address and manage data breaches. Nevertheless, this concern is being addressed through the growing collaboration between small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in the realm of cybersecurity. The percentage of SMBs engaging with MSPs for cybersecurity has risen to 89% in 2022, a notable increase from the 74% reported in 2020.

Our organization collaborates with several businesses where adherence to compliance and regulatory standards holds significant importance. Specifically, we offer IT support services to law firms and financial services corporations, alongside other sectors. The significance of prioritizing cyber security has reached unprecedented levels.

The persistent occurrence of ransomware assaults is a significant concern for both individuals and organizations, as increasingly sophisticated attack techniques compel victims to make monetary concessions. A total of approximately 236.1 million instances of ransomware assaults were documented on a global scale during the initial six-month period of the year 2022. To get further information, please go to our webpage dedicated to ransomware statistics.

Global Cyber Crime Statistics:

• In 2022, the United Kingdom experienced the greatest incidence of cybercrime victims per million internet users, reaching a total of 4783, which is a notable increase of 40% compared to the figures observed in 2020.
• In 2022, the United States (USA) exhibited the second-highest incidence of victims per million internet users. Specifically, the country reported a total of 1494 victims, reflecting a 13% decline compared to the figures observed in 2020.
• In the year 2021, over 50% of internet users in North America experienced a breach of their online accounts.
• The United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) exhibit a higher prevalence of cybercrime victims per million internet users in comparison to other nations. Specifically, in 2021, the USA witnessed a much greater number of victims, amounting to a staggering 759% increase compared to Canada, the country with the second-highest number of victims.
• The Netherlands has experienced a significant increase in the number of casualties, surpassing the figures recorded in 2020 by a margin of 50%.
• The country of Greece has had a substantial reduction in the number of victims, with a notable decline of 75% compared to the previous year, 2020.
• In the year 2021, the global incidence of data breaches resulted in an average of 97 victims every hour.
• In the year 2021, data breaches resulted in an average loss of $787,671 every hour.
• In January 2023, Greece emerged as the leading nation on the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI), attaining a notable score of 96.10. The countries that have achieved the top five highest scores on the National Science Competitiveness Index (NSCI) are:
  • Greece (96.10)
  • Lithuania (93.51)
  • Belgium (93.51)
  • Estonia (93.51)
  • Czech Republic (92.21)
• The incidence of cybercrime in the Asia-Pacific area had a substantial surge of 168% during the period spanning from May 2020 to May 2021. In May 2021, Japan witnessed a notable surge of 40% in the occurrence of cyber-attacks when compared to the preceding months within the same year.
• During the period spanning from the second quarter to the third quarter of 2022, the nations that have had the most significant escalations in data breaches are as follows:
  • China experienced a significant number of compromised accounts, totaling 14,157,775, which accounts for an alarming increase of 4852%.
  • In Japan, there has been a significant number of hacked accounts, amounting to 1,246,373, which represents a staggering increase of 1423%.
  • In South Korea, a significant number of breached accounts equal to 1,669,124 (representing a 1007% increase) were reported.
• The countries that experienced the most significant declines in data breaches during the period spanning from the second quarter to the third quarter of 2022 are:
  • Sri Lanka (-99% amounting to 1,440,432 fewer breached accounts)
  • Myanmar (-82% amounting to 17,887 fewer breached accounts)
  • Iraq (-78% amounting to 16,113 fewer breached accounts)
• The number of breached accounts had a 70% spike in the third quarter of 2022 in comparison to the second quarter.
  • A total of 108.9 million accounts experienced a security breach over the period spanning from July to September in the year 2022.
  • This translates to a rate of 14 account leaks occurring each second.
• According to a case study conducted in 2022, encompassing the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, a significant majority of respondents, specifically 76%, reported that their respective organizations experienced at least one instance of cyber assault within the current year. The aforementioned statistic represents substantial growth when compared to the 55% value observed in the year 2020.
• According to the aforementioned study, a mere 30% of respondents own cyber insurance, while a significant 69% express apprehension that a successful cyber attack may potentially lead to the complete closure of their small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
• In the year 2021, Asian organizations saw the highest number of attacks on a global scale. The distribution of attacks on organizations across different continents in the year 2021 is presented as follows:
  • Asia (26%)
  • Europe (24%)
  • North America (23%)
  • Middle East and Africa (14%)
  • Latin America (13%)
• In the year 2021, there existed a degree of variability in the methods employed for infiltrating organizations during attacks.
  • In the Asian region, the predominant form of attack encountered was server access, accounting for 20% of the recorded attacks. Ransomware and data theft was surpassed by this particular phenomenon, accounting for 11% and 10% respectively.
  • Ransomware emerged as the predominant kind of cyber assault in Europe, constituting approximately 26% of the total incidents seen inside the continent. The subsequent prevalent forms of attacks were server access attacks, accounting for 12% of the total, followed by data theft, which constituted 10% of the overall attack types.
  • In the North American region, ransomware emerged as the predominant kind of attack, accounting for 30% of the total incidents. The aforementioned statistic indicates that business email compromise accounted for 12% of the incidents, while server access attacks constituted 9% of the total.
  • In the regions of the Middle East and Africa, the predominant form of attack seen was server access, accounting for 18% of the total attacks. Instances of server access attacks were observed in 18% of the total attacks, with misconfiguration being the subsequent cause in 14% of the cases.
  • Ransomware constituted the predominant form of cyberattacks in Latin America, accounting for 29% of the total attacks. This phenomenon occurred prior to the occurrence of corporate email compromise and credential harvesting, which were observed in 21% of the attacks.
• The United States Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received reports from a total of 24,299 individuals who identified themselves as victims of cybercrime. The total loss incurred exceeded $956 million.
• Romance scams and confidence fraud exhibit a significant presence inside the United States, as evidenced by the reception of reports from 24,299 victims by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) in the year 2021. These incidents have resulted in financial losses of over $956 million.
  • In 2021, the highest proportion of casualties, or 32% of the total, were individuals aged 60 and above.
  • A total of 16% of individuals were within the age range of 50-59.
  • Only a small proportion, specifically 2%, fell within the age range of under 20.
• Sextortion is a pervasive problem within the United States. In the realm of cybercrime, individuals with malicious intent employ the tactic of coercing victims into meeting their demands by leveraging the potential release of intimate visual content or personal information pertaining to sexual activities.
  • In the year 2021, the IC3 department recorded an excess of 18,000 complaints pertaining to instances of sextortion. The total financial damages incurred by the victims exceeded $13.6 million.
• The estimated financial damages incurred by individuals in the United States as a result of cybercrime in the year 2022 exceeded $10.2 billion. The current figure represents a substantial increase compared to the previous year, specifically in 2021, wherein individuals incurred an approximate loss of $6.9 billion. Based on the observed decrease of 5% in the number of complaints registered in the United States between 2021 and 2022, it can be inferred that the economic impact of cybercrime per victim has increased relative to the preceding year.
• It is projected that the retail sector will incur a global cost of $48 billion in 2023 due to eCommerce fraud.
• It is projected that online payment fraud will result in a financial loss of $343 billion for enterprises throughout the period spanning from 2023 to 2027.

Cyber Crime Trends 2023

The Escalating Financial Burden of Cybercrime

As the complexity of attack methods continues to evolve, organizations worldwide are compelled to allocate resources towards implementing advanced security measures, enhancing training programs, and, particularly in larger enterprises, recruiting specialized personnel in the field of cyber security. When organizations have security breaches, the expenses associated with resolving the breach and mitigating the resulting downtime can escalate to millions of dollars.

In 2022, the mean financial impact of a cyber breach was recorded at $4.35 million. According to projections, the financial impact of cybercrime on the worldwide economy is estimated to reach approximately $7 trillion in the year 2022, with a projected increase to $10.5 trillion by the year 2025.

Cyber Crime in India

Similar to several nations, India is experiencing a growing prevalence of cybercrime. In the year 2018, a total of 208,456 incidents of cyber-related offenses were registered. During the initial two months of 2022, a total of 212,485 cyber offenses were reported, surpassing the cumulative figure for the entire year of 2018.

The incidence of recorded crime experienced a significant increase throughout the pandemic, as seen by the notable rise in numbers. Specifically, the number of reported cases surged from 394,499 in 2019 to 1,158,208 in 2020 and further escalated to 1,402,809 in 2021. The incidence of cybercrime in India had a notable surge of 15.3% during the period spanning from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2022.

Moreover, there has been a notable surge in the number of cyber intrusions targeting Indian websites in recent years. In the year 2018, a total of 17,560 websites had unauthorized access and compromise. In the year 2020, there was an increase in the number of hacked sites by 26,121.

In the year 2021, a significant proportion of Indian organizations, namely 78%, encountered a ransomware attack. Out of these attacks, a substantial 80% led to the encryption of data. When comparing the data, it was seen that the average proportion of attacks was 66%, while the average rate of encryption was 65%.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, we would like to say that we have tried everything to elaborate on every nitty-gritty detail related to the Latest 2023 Cyber Crime Statistics in this article by News4Hackers, the Best Cybersecurity Info, and News Portal.  Moreover, individuals who have successfully developed an interest in knowing more about ethical hacking fundamentals can nicely join an Ethical Hacking Course by Craw Security, the Best Cybersecurity Training Institute in India, and the sister vertical of News4Hackers.

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