60+ Cybercrime Statistics—the Ultimate Guide to Online Attacks
Written by, Alex Bosnjak
Updated January, 17, 2022
Cybercrime statistics show that 57% of Australian users get attacked online. As we depend more and more on technology daily, we get increasingly vulnerable to hackers.
To help you understand cybercrime complexity, we’ve gathered the essential information you should know.
Let’s have a look.
Fascinating Cybercrime Facts and Statistics
- In 2019, losses from identity theft stood at around $502 billion.
- In 2020, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 4.8 million identity theft reports.
- A hacker attacks an internet-connected computer every 39 seconds.
- The average data breach in 2018 cost around $13 million.
- Over 18 million websites are malware-infected at a given time each week.
- In 2020, the global economy lost over $1 trillion to cybercrime.
- Recent cyber attacks in 2021 show 90% of them are due to human error.
- The UN reported a 600% increase in phishing emails during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2020, 47% of Americans experienced financial identity theft.
- India has the highest cybercrime rate, with 80% of users experiencing attacks in 2019.
Cybercrime Statistics
Cyber crime increase statistics show a dramatic rise as technology evolves and changes. Let’s explore what this means.
1. About 18 Million Websites Are Infected With Malware at a Given Time Each Week.
(Source: Wired Business Media)
- That’s 1% of the 1.8 billion websites online.
- Hackers attack the average website 44 times a day.
- Attacks had a 20% increase in 2017 alone.
But that’s not all. Let’s have a look at cybercrime statistics worldwide.
2. In 2020, 47% of Americans Experienced Financial Identity Theft.
(Source: Insurance Information Institute)
- In 2019, identity theft losses stood at around $502 billion.
- In 2020, that number rose to $712 billion.
- Loses are expected to grow past the $21 billion mark by the end of 2021. COVID-19 impacted cybercrime massively. But more on that later.
Cybercrime statistics by country show some interesting information, especially in the US.
3. Between 2018–2020, 37% of US Consumers Were Application Fraud Victims.
(Source: Insurance Information Institute)
- A further 38% had their accounts entirely taken over by hackers.
- 30% of all cybercrime victims are between 35–44 years old.
- In 2020, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 4.8 million identity theft reports. In 2019, that number was 3.3 million — a 45% increase in a single year.
Let’s break the numbers down a bit.
4. India Had the Highest Cybercrime Rate in 2019 — 80% of Users.
(Source: Statista)
- The US comes in second, with 61%.
- France is third, with 60%.
- Fourth is New Zealand, with 59%.
But let’s look at other countries, too.
5. Cybercrime Statistics in Australia Show 57% of Users Have Experienced an Attack.
(Source: Statista)
- The UK population is close behind, with 55% of the population.
- Italy is next, with 53%.
- Lastly, the Netherlands has 51%.
Australia has some of the most in-depth cybercrime stats.
Cybercrime Statistics in Australia
The Australian government is on a mission to prevent cybercrime as much as possible. To do that, it’s building awareness of the country’s stats.
6. Cybercrime Takes Place Every 10 Minutes in Australia.
(Source: ABC)
- That’s around 164 crimes online per day.
- Between 2019–2020, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received nearly 60,000 cybercrime reports.
- Estimates reveal as much as 1.9% of Australia’s GDP is spent on cyberattacks. That’s around $29 billion a year.
Cyber security in Australia has a lot to show us.
7. One in Three Australian Adults Use the Internet for Six Hours a Day or More.
(Source: ABC)
- Also, three out of four use it for at least two hours a day.
- Between 10–26 March 2020, the ACSC received over 45 cybercrime reports of pandemic-themed scams.
- 50% of users are incredibly concerned about experiencing a cyber attack in Australia. So, using the right web page builder to create a secure experience is vital.
What about the cyber crime cases in Australia?
8. 2020 Was the Worst Year for Cyber Attacks, and Romance Scams Alone Cost $131 Million.
(Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
- In October 2019, the Emotet malware hit Australia. It managed to send 4,500 emails in one day, targeting personal information and sensitive financial data.
- In April 2020, an extortion campaign resulted in 3,876 cybercrime reports. 45% of them in that month came from this single campaign.
- Businesses and the public are fighting back. The Australian cybersecurity software industry has grown 10.7% annually between 2015–2020. It’s predicted to increase by 15.2% between 2020–2025, reaching a whopping $3.6 billion.
But that’s not all the internet security in Australia has to show us.
9. In 2020, Australia Lost $850 Million to Online Scams.
(Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
- Investment scams cost $328 million in the same period.
- $128 million was lost to payment redirection scams on work email takeovers.
- Phishing statistics showed a 75% increase in phishing scams during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, with over 44,000 reports in 2020. But identity theft increased by 84%.
Major cyber attacks in Australia led to a lot of loss.
10. The Average Investment Scam Loss Was About $26,000.
(Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
- 34% of Australians who reported an investment scam lost money.
- Romance baiting costs Australians between 25–34 years old $7.3 million in 2020.
- In 2020, shopping scams increased 52%, reaching $7.4 million. GoDaddy can provide you with SSL certificates, creating trust in your website.
So, what other cyber security issues are there?
11. There Was a 220% Increase in Australian Vehicle Scams in 2020.
(Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
- Medical scams increased by over 2,000% between 2019–2020.
- Government impersonation scams were also common, with 4,000 ACCC reports in 2020.
- In the same period, 25% of all scams involved the loss of personal information. That was only at 18% in 2019, so we saw an increase of 6% in a year.
Surprisingly, the Australian hacking statistics don’t stop here.
12. Business Scam Losses Went Up by 260% Between 2019–2020.
(Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
- The numbers grew from $5 million in 2019 to about $18 million in 2020.
- In 2020, while Australia suffered horrific bushfire damage, scammers took the opportunity to pounce on the dire situation. Between 6 January and 27 March, the ACCC received over 1,000 calls for bushfire scams.
- Australia lost over $7 million to Chinese authority scams in 2020. Using the fear spreading during the pandemic, hackers made serious money out of people’s misfortune.
So, we know there are different types of cybercrime, but who do they affect most?
13. Australians Over 65 Reported the Most Losses of All Age Groups — 28 Million.
(Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
- For the first time since 2015, in 2020, men and women lost about the same amount to scams. It’s $88 million for men and $87 million for women.
- Men lost the most to investment scams — $44.6 million.
- Women lost the most to romance scams — $28 million.
The Australian government cyber security report shows the weak points in the system.
14. Bank Transfers Are the Most Used Scam Payment, Losing $97 Million in 2020.
(Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
- Bitcoin came in second, with a financial loss of $48.2 million.
- Email and social networking scams also left users with $35.2 million less.
- Mobile apps were another problem, with $21.6 million lost in 2020, increasing 213% since 2019.
So, how has cybercrime grown in recent years?
Cybercrime Growth Statistics
As one of the fastest-growing criminal activities, let’s find out more about its rise.
15. The UN Reported a 600% Increase in Phishing Emails During COVID-19.
(Source: ABC News)
- A hacker attacks every 39 seconds.
- Also, one in three Americans gets hacked every year.
- Cyber crime news shows Victoria had the highest losses in Australia for 2020 with $49,096,516. It’s almost doubled from 2019. COVID-19 could be to blame as the state was in lockdown the longest, making people more susceptible.
Let’s move on to different entities and how they’re affected.
Cybercrime Business Statistics
We don’t only look at the population but at businesses and industries, too.
16. 64% of American Businesses Have Experienced Web-Based Attacks.
(Source: University of North Georgia)
- 62% experienced phishing.
- Hackers steal around 150,000 records every hour, or about 2,600 a minute.
- Cybercrime malware statistics show more than 75% of the healthcare industry has been infected with malware at some point.
Cybercrime is a massive problem for all businesses.
17. 43% of Cyber Attacks Are on Smaller Businesses.
(Source: University of North Georgia)
- Worryingly, 90% of cybersecurity attacks are due to human error.
- To make things worse, cybercrime statistics show only 38% of organisations worldwide can handle such an attack.
- Many websites don’t have security in place, relying on search engines to inform them of a breach. But search engines only block about 1 in 5 infected websites. There simply isn’t enough infrastructure to pick up every attack.
Businesses rely on banks, so what can cybercrime in banks statistics show us?
18. In 2018, Banks Had the Highest Annual Cybercrime Cost in the US — $18.4 Million.
(Source: Insurance Information Institute)
- 30% of all identity theft scams in 2020 were for new credit card accounts.
- Depending on the company, a data breach can involve a serious amount of money. The average data breach in 2018 cost around $13 million.
- Credit card fraud increased by 72.4% between 2018–2019.
But that’s not all.
Internet Fraud Statistics
In January 2021, there were 4.66 billion users on the internet worldwide. That’s a lot of opportunities for hackers.
19. Ransomware Accounts for 18% of All Cyberattacks.
(Source: Insurance Information Institute)
- In 2020, fraud alone cost over $3.3 billion. The average amount each victim loses is around $311.
- Phishing (email) or smishing (texts) are the most common form of cyberattack. Both account for 44% of all cyberattacks.
- Cybercrime costs the world economy about $455 billion a year.
Let’s see what cybercrime loss statistics can show us.
20. In 2020, the Global Economy Lost Over $1 Trillion to Cybercrime.
(Source: Washington Post)
- In 2018, McAfee advised a global loss of $500 million, so it doubled in two years. That’s usually impossible, but COVID-19 set the perfect scene for hackers.
- 92% of companies in the same report felt the effects on the company name and overall work efficiency.
- A healthcare organization breach costs about $7 million. It also takes longer to identify the issue — 329 days, compared to the average of 280 days.
Global retail sales are predicted to reach $26.7 trillion by 2022, so there’s a lot to protect. Let’s look at how cyber security threats stats show the effects on industries.
21. In 2018, Insurance Companies Received $2 Billion in Cyberattack Premiums.
(Source: Insurance Information Institute)
- In 2017, 505 US companies covered cybercrime. In 2018 that increased to 545.
- In 2019, human error and program malfunction accounted for 152 events, affecting 130 million people.
- 80% of credit fraud losses come from data breach incidents.
All this is pretty scary, considering how much information we have online.
Wrap Up
Cybercrime statistics are constantly rising, with more people and businesses going online every day. After all, there are 1.8 billion websites and they keep popping up.
As technology evolves, so does our dependence on the internet. Unfortunately, that also leads to more cybercrime victims. The biggest lesson we can take from all of this is to protect our data the way we protect any other valuables.
FAQ
What’s the difference between traditional crime and cybercrime?
Cybercrime vs traditional crime statistics show that many more people face cybercrime than conventional crime. The latter usually involves some physical activity, whether that’s pickpocketing, attacking, or stealing a cheque. But hackers can do everything from the comfort of their homes without leaving or being physically involved, making them nearly invisible, too.
Is hacking illegal in Australia?
Yes, gaining access to other people’s personal information through fraudulent activity online is the same as physically stealing a purse or personal items. Online hacking takes a lot of planning and usually isn’t a one-time thing. Crime rings incentivise hackers with large sums of money.
What is e-crime?
It involves harming someone through distress, personal or financial loss using technology. For instance, gaining access to private bank account information and making online purchases would be an e-crime. But that doesn’t mean it can’t lead to physical harm. Suicide instances after cyberbullying are on the rise globally.
How many computers are hacked each day?
A hacker attacks an internet-connected computer every 39 seconds. That’s about 2,500 computers a day. What’s more, 18 million websites are infected with malware at a given time each week. Plus, with the average data breach taking over 200 days to find, hackers have full access to the files for long periods.
What’s the cost of cybercrime?
Australia spends about $29 billion a year on cybercrime or around 1.9% of its GDP. Cybercrime costs the world economy about $455 billion a year. But it’s not just the financial aspect. Online crime can cost human lives when information gets into the wrong hands.
Does Australia have a cyber security strategy?
Yes, the Australian government is investing about $1.6 billion from 2020–2030 to help the country’s online community with online scams. The idea is to make Australia’s online presence a safe space by informing others, cracking down on criminals, and uplifting business and government security.
What is the most dangerous cyber crime?
Child solicitation is the most dangerous one. Most children have phones before the age of 13, and hackers use this to their advantage. Since children are easily swayed, hackers prey on them through social media and get them to meet in person.
Is cyber crime the most common crime in the world?
It’s impossible to know the full extent of cybercrime statistics. But it’s currently the most common method for organizing drugs, human trafficking, and kidnapping. All criminal worlds use cybercrime division to make contact with the victims easier.