4 Scary Cyber Security Stats

October is the month we celebrate all things spooky. The leaves have long since begun to change color, there’s a chill in the air and neighboring homes have Halloween decorations on display.

It’s the season of pumpkin carving, candy and everything horror-themed.

To keep in line with the theme, let’s visit a topic that is equally frightening: cyber attacks.

Unfortunately, the number of cyber attacks grows every day with the increase of technology and those working from home. Alarmingly, recent studies show that hacking attempts occur every 39 seconds, so, depending on how quick of a reader you are, it’s likely that at least two will occur before you’re done reading this blog.

Let’s Take a Look At Some Scary Cyber Statistics

In 2016, 95% of Breached Records Came From 3 Industries

2016 was a significant year of cyber attacks. Over one billion records were compromised around the globe, serving as a harsh reminder that online security measures are imperative.

Much like you may have a preferred coffee shop you visit every morning, hackers too prefer to attack the same three industries.

In 2016, government, retail and technology were the three industries that were heavily affected by cyber attacks. Most likely, those industries were targeted because they contain a high level of personal identifying information.

Almost Half of Cyber Attacks Affect Small Businesses

It was found that 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses. This often occurs because many small businesses fail to implement measures to protect themselves and believe that hackers go after the big corporations, but this is simply not true.

Cyber crimes amongst small businesses are not only frequent, but they are also costly. Cyber crimes cost small businesses around 2.2 million dollars per year. Additionally, 60% of small businesses that are hit with data breaches go out of business within six months of the attack.

Since Covid-19, Cyber Crimes Have Increased By 300%

In a previous blog, we discussed some common covid-19 scams that have been occurring throughout the course of this pandemic, targeting those who are fearful or working remotely.

Since the pandemic began, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre says that the number of cyber security complaints have increased from 1,000 complaints a day to over 3,000 to 4,000 per day. Ensuring that you take the proper measures to protect yourself online is crucial, especially if you are working from home.

95% of Cyber Security Breaches Are Due to Human Error

Cyber criminals and hackers can infiltrate your business without having to go through your IT department. Hackers can target an employee by using phishing tactics, or infiltrate your network through a weak security system. Educating your employees in cyber security and not allowing access to confidential information are some ways to prevent employees from being the “weak link” in your establishment that give way to a data breach.

Physical Document Destruction: A Less Frightening Alternative

While protecting yourself online is imperative, physical document destruction is an additional way to protect yourself.

Abraham’s On-Site Shredding has been providing shredding services to Wisconsin for over twenty years. To find out more about our service areas and our shredding services, feel free to reach out online or give us a call at (262) 877-8878.