April 20, 2024
In an era dominated by digital connectivity, the world is witnessing an alarming surge in cybersecurity attacks. Amid these events, people must be cautious when using the internet.
According to a study conducted by the University of Maryland, on average, a hacker launches an attack every 39 seconds. The study reported that each year, around 800,000 people in the United States experience cyberattacks.
This is due to data breaches, phishing, which is the fraudulent practice of sending emails or other messages to get individuals to reveal personal information, and ransomware, which is a type of malware that permanently blocks access to the victim’s personal data unless a ransom is paid.
ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXANDRA SKOWRONSKI
About 3.6 million computers in the United States have been infected with malware at least once, according to Florida-based Worth Insurance. Around 80% of all internet users in the United States have been affected by spyware as well, according to the U.S. National Cybersecurity Alliance.
The financial losses caused by cyberattacks are huge. Hackers can use malicious code to block files, make a system inoperable and steal a person’s data.
According to Comparitech, a website that provides information about technology, each year, 88.5 million people fall victim to a cybercrime, with a total of $714 billion lost, which amounts to about $8,000 per victim. The cost of damages caused by global cybercrimes is estimated to reach about $10.5 trillion by 2025, according to eSentire, a computer security service.
Individuals and businesses are both targets of cyberattacks.
With advancing technology and a rise in new cyberattacks, individuals must be more cautious online.
The global statistics platform Statista estimated that in 2023, three out of four companies in the United States were at risk of cyberattacks. Moreover, around 46% of cybersecurity breaches impact small businesses, with around 87% of small businesses containing customer data that can be compromised, according to the American technology company StrongDM.
The growth of these attacks is not slowing down. According to the Association of American Geographers, cyberattacks increased globally by 125% between 2020 and 2021. In 2022, cyberattacks worldwide cost about $8.44 trillion. The global cost of cyber crimes is expected to surge to $13.82 trillion by 2028.
This exemplifies the need for people to be more aware and work harder to prevent cyberattacks.
According to Cybint Solutions, a global cyber education company, about 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. Lack of cyber awareness, poor internet practices and ignorance about staying safe on the internet all contribute to the prevalence of cyberattacks.
A common way for someone with malicious intent to gain access to a person’s accounts is when those accounts are not correctly password-protected. About two-thirds of Americans use the same password across multiple accounts, and about 13% use the same password for every account, according to Exploding Topics, a website that reports on new and rising trends.
Another way people fall victim to a cyberattack is through phishing. In 2019, over 779,000 phishing attacks occurred. In 2022, that number climbed to over 4.7 million, according to a statistic by StationX, a platform that provides cybersecurity training.
With advancing technology and a rise in new cyberattacks, individuals must be more cautious online.
Cyberattacks are significant and have the potential to impact anyone. Therefore, it is crucial that everyone remains vigilant about internet security and knows how to safeguard their technology and personal information.
