Cybersecurity issues are rising in 2021 and show no signs of slowing down.
The pandemic has forced many individuals to work remotely. With the rise in cyber attacks, businesses now have to protect their data even further than in the past. Statistically, many businesses still have weak security measures in place, leaving their data open and prime for targeting.

To successfully fight cyber attacks and vicious intent, it is imperative for companies to be aware of cybersecurity, best practices, and prevention as a part of the company culture. Quality cyber-hygiene is crucial for a successful resistance to cybercrime.

To give a better understanding of the cybersecurity landscape, we complied a list of cybersecurity stats in 2021 that will give you a better idea of what’s ahead.

  1. Between Jan, 2005 and May of 2020, there has been 11, 762 recorded breaches. Source: ID Theft Center
  2. In 2020, the average time to identify a data breach is 207 days. Source: IBM
  3. Since the start of covid-19, cyberattacks have increased by 300%. Source: FBI Reports
  4. In 2020, 74% of small business attacks were executed by external actors, instead of internal employees. Source: Verizon
  5. 68% of business leaders feel that cyber attacks are increasing. Source: Accenture
  6. 78% of IT leaders lack the confidence in their company’s Cybersecurity posture, prompting 91% to increase cybersecurity budgets. Source: Yahoo News
  7. The average cost of a data breach for companies in 2020 globally was 3.86 million. Source: Dice.com
  8. Phishing attacks account for more than 80% of reported security incidents. Source: CSO online
  9. Ransomware and phishing attacks will remain the primary attacks in 2021. Source: Darkreading.com
  10. Roughly 95% of all malware attacks happen through email. Source: CSO Online
  11. Most malicious domains, roughly 60%, are associated with spam campaigns. Source: Cisco
  12. 40% of IT leaders mention that cybersecurity jobs are one of the most difficult to fill. Source: CSO Online
  13. Google has registered roughly 2, 145,013 phishing sites as of Jan 2021. Source: Tessian
  14. Cybercrime is estimated to cost the world roughly 10.5 Trillion annually by 2025. Source: Cybercrime Magazine

The Takeaway: Cyber Hygiene & Awareness
Cyber-awareness is critical when it comes to digital security. The challenge most companies face is adapting to their environment and creating a risk management strategy so we can all protect our data. These statistics provided valuable insights toward finding gaps in security, growing threats, and alerts to trends. The trick is to not become a statistic as a company. The time to change your company’s culture on digital security is now.

If you would like to learn more about cybersecurity best practices and where to start protecting your data as a company, contact us today. We’re a managed IT service provider that specializes in helping businesses protect their private data.