How Many Cyberattacks Happen Daily

Nowadays, technology evolves so much quicker than ever before. So do cybercriminals who take advantage of it to perform online heists. So, one can’t help but wonder how often cybercrime happens.

Let’s find out in the statistics below.

How Many Cyberattacks Happen Daily?

A study conducted by the University of Maryland found that a malicious hacking attack happens every 39 seconds, amounting to over 2,200 cyberattacks per day worldwide. Cybercriminals use scripts to guess usernames and passwords to get into a network and attack computers.

(Source: University of Maryland / Norton)

More Shocking Cyberattack Statistics to Blow Your Mind

There’s still so much to learn about cybercrime to be able to take necessary precautions to avoid them as much as they can. Let’s begin with how much it may cost to have appropriate cybersecurity in place. 

Cybersecurity Costs

Several elements come into play when it comes to the cost of cybersecurity protocol—the company size, data type, products and services, installation process (DIY or professional), and audits.

Here are the estimated expenses of the popular cybersecurity tools and services:

• Firewall protection—$1,500–$15,000 (including product cost, installation fee, and subscription) depending on the company’s size
• Antivirus software—$3–$5 per user a month or $5–$8 per server a month
• Antivirus monitoring—$100–$2,000 per month, depending on the size of the network
• Email protection service—$3–$6 a month per user
• Two-factor authentication—$0–$10 per user per month

(Source: Proven Data)

The Biggest Cybercrimes in 2021

Cybercriminals never run out of tricks and keep innovating their cyberattack styles despite efforts from the governments to suppress such threats. Here’s a list of the latest cyberattacks to keep you in the know.

1. CNA Financial—This insurance company admitted to paying $40 million in March to retrieve data after a sophisticated ransomware attack. 
2. Colonial Pipeline—Colonial Pipeline suffered a ransomware attack from the cybercriminal group DarkSide in May. The ransom amounted to 75 BTC (around $5 million).
3. JBS USA—Shortly after the attack on Colonial Pipeline, meatpacking company JBS USA fell victim to ransomware and paid $11 million to the attackers.
4. Kaseya—This IT services provider was attacked by the infamous hacking group REvil in July this year and cost them $70 million.
5. Brenntag—DarkSide carried out another major attack in May 2021. Brenntag, a German chemical distribution company, had to pay a $4.4 million ransom. 

(Sources: BlackFog, ISACA, Reuters, Cnet)

Top Cybercrimes in History

Are cybercrime rates increasing? Yes, they are! And rapidly. Many of them have been recorded over the years, and many more keep adding to the list.

Here are the top cybercrimes of all time:

• The Melissa Virus was developed in 1999 by programmer David Lee Smith and victimized hundreds of companies, including Microsoft. The cost of repairs amounted to around $80 million.
• Sony’s Playstation Network data breach attack in 2014 compromised the personal information of 77 million users.
• The WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017 was so massive it impacted around 200,000 computers in approximately 150 countries and had a global cost of over £6 billion (about $8 billion).

(Source: Albawaba)

Conclusion

The statistics above clearly show that businesses and individuals must ensure that security protocols are in place. One can never be lenient when it comes to cybersecurity.