125+ Latest Cyber Crime Statistics 2023

In the modern digital era, the rising menace of cybercrime has emerged as a critical issue for individuals, businesses, and governments across the globe. As technology progresses, cybercriminals also evolve their tactics, underscoring the need for constant awareness and vigilance.

From the sheer number of data breaches and ransomware attacks to the financial repercussions and the rise of sophisticated hacking techniques, this article aims to provide a clear picture of the current cybercrime landscape.

So, buckle up and prepare to delve into the world of cybersecurity statistics that will undoubtedly give you a reason to be cautious while online.

Key Cyber Crime Statistics

Approximately, more than 800,000 cyber attacks occur per year.
Around 2328 cyber attacks per day each day this year. It means every 14 seconds, a business becomes a target of a ransomware assault, capable of causing severe financial harm.
Data collection can lead to a potential 4% increase in revenue, which could translate to billions of dollars for large multinational companies.
81% believe an organization’s treatment of personal data reflects respect for customers.
84% show loyalty to brands with strong security controls.
76% avoid purchasing from untrusted companies.
37% switch for better privacy protection (up from 34%).
58% of organizations neglect data breach disclosures.
62% of Americans believe it’s impossible to experience a normal day without companies collecting data about them.
According to an IBM report, the average cost of a data breach in the U.S. is $4.2 million.
A hacker strikes every 39 seconds, emphasizing the constant cybersecurity threat.
While 87% of business leaders believe their consumers trust their company, only 30% of consumers express a high level of trust, as per a PwC survey.
Roughly three weeks after a company breach is made public, share prices drop by an average of 3.5%. After a year, affected companies underperform the NASDAQ by 8.6%, and after three years, they continue to underperform by more than 15%.

How many cyber attacks occur per year?

Approximately, more than 800,000 cyber attacks occur per year.

The number of cybercrimes committed each year can vary and is influenced by various factors such as technological advancements, cybersecurity measures, and criminal activities. The exact number of annual cybercrimes is difficult to ascertain due to underreporting and undetected incidents.

Although, nearly 33 billion accounts are expected to be breached this year. Over 800,944 complaints were registered in 2022. Hence, it won’t hurt to be prepared!

Average cybercrime rates:

Statistics indicate that cyberattacks occur approximately every 44 seconds around the clock.

average cybercrime rate

In 2020, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 791,790 cybercrime complaints.
The Cybersecurity Ventures Cybercrime Report projected that the annual cost of cybercrime would reach $6 trillion in 2021.

The number of cyber attacks per day:

Around 2328 cyber attacks per day each day this year. It means every 14 seconds, a business becomes a target of a ransomware assault, capable of causing severe financial harm.
Over the last two decades, 6.5 million victims have come forward.
It is estimated that about 97 people face cyber attacks per hour.
On average, there is an estimated hacker attack every 39 seconds, as reported by a study conducted by the University of Maryland.
In 2022, there were approximately 800,944 complaints of cybercrime filed with the FBI’s IC3, indicating a significant number of attacks reported.

Cyber Crime Statistics Worldwide

Ransomware attacks have increased significantly, with the number of attacks growing by 485% in 2020 alone, according to Bitdefender’s 2020 Consumer Threat Landscape Report.
Phishing attacks continue to be a prevalent form of cybercrime, with over 75% of organizations experiencing phishing attacks in 2020, according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report.
The number of data breaches reported worldwide reached a record high of 1,001 cases in 2020, according to Statista.
The healthcare sector has become a prime target for cybercriminals, with a 55% increase in cyber attacks in the sector in 2020, as reported by Check Point Research.
Social engineering attacks, such as email scams and impersonation, accounted for 22% of data breaches in 2020, as reported by the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report.
The number of new mobile malware variants detected in 2020 reached 93.1 million, as reported by Kaspersky.
The dark web is a thriving hub for cybercriminal activities, with over 57,000 illicit marketplaces identified in a study conducted by the Cyber Threat Coalition.
Business Email Compromise attacks resulted in global losses of over $1.8 billion in 2020, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
The global shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals is expected to reach 3.5 million by 2021, as projected by Cybersecurity Ventures.
The number of Internet of Things (IoT) attacks has increased by 300% since 2019, according to a report by SonicWall.
Online banking fraud increased by 159% in 2020, with cybercriminals targeting individuals’ financial accounts, as reported by RSA Security.
Nation-states are increasingly engaging in cyber attacks, with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea being identified as significant actors in state-sponsored cyber activities.
Cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets remain attractive targets for cybercriminals, with over $1.9 billion in cryptocurrencies stolen in 2020, according to CipherTrace.
Critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, transportation, and water, experienced a 50% increase in cyber attacks in 2020, as reported by IBM Security X-Force.
The Internet Watch Foundation reported a 77% increase in self-generated child sexual abuse material online in 2020.
High-profile incidents like the SolarWinds and Kaseya attacks have raised concerns about supply chain attacks, affecting numerous organizations globally.
Insider threats remain a persistent challenge, accounting for 33% of all cyber incidents in 2020, according to the Ponemon Institute.
Cloud-based attacks increased by 630% between January and April 2020, according to McAfee’s Cloud Adoption and Risk Report.
Deepfake technology poses a growing threat, with a projected 100,000 deep fake videos expected to be available online by 2023, as estimated by Deeptrace.
Mobile banking malware attacks are on the rise, with a 50% increase in such attacks detected in the first half of 2021, according to a report by Kaspersky.
The shift to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in cyber attacks targeting remote workers, with a 148% increase in attacks reported in 2020, as stated in a report by VMware Carbon Black.

List of countries that have been commonly mentioned as having a higher incidence of cybercrime origins:

Russia
China
North Korea
Ukraine
Nigeria
Brazil
Vietnam
India
Romania
United States

Cyber crimes in the United States

The US government incurred estimated costs of over 13.7 billion US dollars due to cyberattacks in 2018.
The US has shown a strong commitment to cybersecurity, increasing its IT expenditure to surpass 92 billion US dollars by 2021.
The US has experienced major data breaches, such as the 2015 hack of the voter database compromising over 198 million records.
Ongoing efforts are needed to ensure security systems and privacy protection in the face of cyber threats.

Cyber crimes in Canada

The number of police-reported cybercrime cases in Canada has increased over 3.5 times between 2014 and 2021.
Online fraud and harassment are among the most common types of cybercrime reported to Canadian police.
Approximately 60% of Canadian organizations have encountered ransomware attacks.
In terms of breach costs, data breaches have incurred losses exceeding 5.6 million US dollars for Canadian organizations, positioning Canada third after the United States and Middle Eastern countries.
Protecting customer data and implementing preventive measures are top priorities for Canadian companies.

Cyber crimes in the United Kingdom

In the UK, 32% of businesses reported experiencing an attack or breach during the period of 2022-2023.
The average cost of a breach for medium and large businesses amounted to £4960.
However, the proportion of micro-businesses prioritizing cyber security has declined to 68% in 2023.
On the other hand, 82% of boards or senior management in UK businesses consider cybersecurity a high priority.
Among various cybercrimes, phishing attacks are regarded as the most disruptive for UK businesses.

Cyber crimes in Russia

Approximately 18% of personal computers in Russia faced malware attacks in 2021.
Phishing attacks affect every tenth computer annually in Russia.
Kaspersky Lab is a leading information security software provider based in Russia.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has impacted information security, leading to restrictions on purchasing foreign security software and increased interest in VPN tools among users.

Cyber Crimes in France

Over 85% of organizations in France reported being targeted by successful cyber attacks in 2022.
Ransomware attacks affected 64.9% of businesses in France in 2022.
The average allocation of IT budgets for security initiatives in French companies is 10.7%.
Only 32.3% of companies in France rely on cloud-based security solutions.
France has seen over 5,000 data breaches since the implementation of GDPR in 2018, with an average cost of $4.34 million per breach.

Cyber Crimes in Germany

The average cost of a cyber attack in Germany is around €19,000.
Only 22% of medium-sized companies in Germany have purchased cyber insurance.
Online banking frauds in Germany led to losses exceeding 2.5 billion Japanese yen in 2019.
Ransomware attacks have had severe consequences, including the theft and encryption of patient data in German hospitals.
Germans urge policymakers to promote EU-wide cooperation in cybersecurity and take stricter action against foreign cyber attacks.

Cyber Crimes in Australia

The average price of a data breach in Australia is close to three million U.S. dollars.
The cybersecurity industry in Australia is expected to reach 4.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2022.
High-profile companies like Optus and Medibank fell victim to large-scale cyber attacks in Australia.
Scam attempts to obtain personal information resulted in substantial financial losses for victims, reaching tens of millions of Australian dollars.
Cyber awareness and implementing basic security measures are crucial for organizations and individuals in Australia.

Cyber Crimes in China

Chinese police investigated and handled 62,000 cybercrime cases in 2021, resulting in the apprehension of over 103,000 individuals.
Over 6,000 criminal gangs involved in online gambling and fraud were dismantled in China in 2021.
Chinese authorities dealt with 18,000 criminal cases related to intellectual property rights infringement and the sale/manufacture of counterfeit goods in 2021.
The Chinese government has a strong commitment to addressing cybercrime and protecting intellectual property rights.
Measures are taken to target personal information infringement, hacking, and other cybercrime activities in China.

Cyber Crimes in India

There were 212,485 reported cyber crimes in the first two months of 2022 in India.
Ransomware attacks affected 78% of Indian organizations in 2021.
Hacking of Indian websites has become more prevalent, with 26,121 sites hacked in 2020.
Cybercrime incidents in India reached 1,402,809 cases in 2021.
Enhanced cybersecurity measures are urgently needed in India.

Cyber Crimes in Japan

Online banking frauds in Japan led to losses exceeding 2.5 billion Japanese yen.
Ransomware attacks targeting businesses have been on the rise in Japan in 2021 and 2022.
The Japanese government has established a dedicated bureau for cyber crimes.
Enhanced information security measures are expected as Japan moves towards an interconnected society.

Cyber Crimes in Korea

Cybercrime challenges in Korea include hacking, DDoS attacks, and industry breaches.
The government established the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) and developed strategies to combat cybercrime.
Korean cybercriminals face threats from international groups, including China and North Korea.
Legislation, incident response, and public awareness efforts strengthen cybersecurity and fight cybercrime.

Cyber Crimes in Pakistan

Financial fraud is the most prevalent type of cybercrime reported in Pakistan.
Social media platforms have become a common avenue for cyber crime in Pakistan.
Facebook was implicated in 23% of cybercrime complaints received in Pakistan in 2021.
Pakistan witnessed an 83% increase in financial fraud reported through social media between 2018 and 2021.
Cybersecurity measures are needed to address the rising cybercrime challenges in Pakistan.

Cyber Crimes in Malaysia

79% of Malaysian organizations experienced ransomware attacks in 2021.
Over 20,000 cybercrimes were reported in Malaysia in 2021, resulting in a loss of RM560 million ($123 million) for the victims.
The cumulative loss from cybercrime in Malaysia between 2017 and 2021 was estimated at RM2.23 billion ($490 million).
The crime rate of cyber crimes in Malaysia increased by 61% compared to 2016.
Enhanced cybersecurity measures are crucial for organizations and individuals in Malaysia.

Cyber Crimes in Nigeria

Nigeria ranked as the 16th most affected country by cybercrime in 2020.
Hackers in Nigeria target organizations by tempting employees to become insider threats.
In Q3 of 2022, Nigeria observed a remarkable 1616% rise in data breaches.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has played a crucial role in combating cyber-related crimes within the country.
The Nigerian government is taking action against cybercrime and protecting intellectual property rights within the country.

Cyber Crimes in Zambia

Approximately 75% of Zambians own smartphones, making text-based scams a particular problem.
The finance sector in Zambia suffered losses exceeding 150 million ZMK ($872,000) between 2020 and Q2 2022.
In 2021, the Zambia Computer Incident Response Team (ZM-CIRT) received approximately 10.7 million reports of cybercrimes, which encompassed incidents such as mobile money reversal scams and social media hijacking.
Limited access to technology restricts computer ownership to around 50% of the population in Zambia.
Cybersecurity measures are crucial to address the growing cybercrime concerns in Zambia.

Cyber Crimes in Nepal

In the fiscal year 2020-2021, Nepal registered 3,906 cybercrime cases.
Additionally, within the initial three months of the fiscal year 2021-2022, 1,547 cybercrime cases were reported in the country.
Nepal is ranked 101st out of 160 countries on the National Cyber Security Index, 94th on the Global Cyber Security Index, and 140th on the ICT Development Index.

Cyber Crime Trends in 2023

Digital DNA theft is a growing concern, with risks of stolen digital identities and DNA replicas.
Supply chain threats require enhanced strategies to combat attacks on critical networks and dependencies.
Camera-based malware poses risks as hackers exploit vulnerabilities in smart camera technology.
QR code threats pose dangers as compromised codes can lead to location tracking and redirect to malicious websites.
Organizational cyber insurability becomes crucial as more businesses seek insurance coverage against data breaches and ransomware attacks.
The decline of personal passwords is anticipated as non-password authentication methods gain prominence.
Ransomware continues to rise in frequency and sophistication, posing significant threats to individuals and organizations.
Electric vehicles and autonomous technology face increased cyber risks, potentially compromising safety and functionality.
Power outages become a concern as cyber-attacks target energy production and distribution networks.
Multi-factor authentication weaknesses are exploited by attackers, bypassing security measures.
Operational technology environments are at risk of being weaponized, posing dangers to critical infrastructure and human safety.

Common Industries under Cyber Attack:

Healthcare industry
Financial institutions
Retail sector
Government agencies and institutions
Manufacturing companies

Most Common Types of Cyber Crimes/Attacks:

types of cybercrime

Ransomware attacks encrypt a victim’s data and demand a ransom payment in exchange for its release.
Malware is malicious software intended to infiltrate systems, causing harm, stealing information, or gaining unauthorized access.
Phishing involves fraudulent communication via emails, messages, or websites, tricking individuals into disclosing sensitive information.
Denial-of-service attacks (DoS attacks) overload a system or network with excessive traffic, rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users.
IoT devices are increasingly targeted, with cyber criminals exploiting vulnerabilities in connected devices to gain unauthorized access or launch attacks on other systems.

The Cost of Cybercrime