Did you know that cyber crime was the second  most reported crime globally in 2016?

Or that 18 million new malware samples were captured during the third quarter of 2016? Or that mobile platforms are one of the fastest growing targets for cyber criminals with an 105% increase in malware detections in 2016 versus 2015?

These are the types of stats found in the article ‘Cybercrime stats & facts for 2016 – 2017’, which can be found in the link below.

Cybercrime Statistics & Facts for 2016 – 2017

Published by Sam Cook on November 9, 2017 in VPN The cybercrime statistics don’t lie: 2016 and 2017 were pivotal years in cybersecurity, marking both rapid growth in mischievous and harmful online criminality, as well as increasingly rapid responses to digital crime. Most notably, ransomware has taken center stage, stealing the limelight from most other forms of malware.

Whilst we recommend you read the whole article, we’ve cherry picked some of the highlights.

Cyber Crime

As mentioned above, cyber crime was the second most reported crime worldwide in 2016 with 63% of hacks being the result of compromised passwords and usernames.

An incredible 18 million new malware samples were captured in the third quarter of 2016 and the average ransomware demand was $1,077 (£802.30) in 2016.

Ransomware is a malicious software that threatens to publish the victim’s data or block access to their computer unless a ransom is paid, WannaCry being an example of such an attack.

 The Increasing Cost of Cyber Crime

The cost of cyber crime is simply staggering, Microsoft estimates that the total potential cost of cyber crime worldwide could be as much as $500 billion.

In 2015 consumers lost an incredible $158 billion due to cyber crime whilst Microsoft has stated that the average cost of a data breach to a company is $3.8 million.

Businesses increasingly on the receiving end of Cyber Crime

32% of US organisations experienced cyber crime in 2016 with adware affecting 75% of organisations in 13 countries.

In worrying news for SMEs, nearly half of worldwide cyber attacks are targeted at small companies.

How Cyber Essentials Can Help

The first step to keeping your organisation safe from potential future cyber attacks is to be certified with Cyber Essentials.

Certification to the Government’s Cyber Essentials Scheme protects an organisation from 80% of common cyber threats. It is also a mandatory requirement for organisations wishing to win business with the MOD, and can help your organisation prepare and defend itself against malicious cyber attacks, regardless of the sector you operate in.

Sign up to Cyber Essentials now!