20 for ’20: The Most Staggering Cybersecurity Facts To Know in 2020

Effective cybersecurity can be elusive, but knowledge and awareness can help. Here’s a list of the 20 most important facts to know so you can protect your business.

1. The 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 94% of malware was delivered by email. (Verizon)

2. The most malicious email attachments were .doc and .dot , both with a 37% malicious rate, and .exe at 19.5%. (Symantec)

3. The average cost incurred on businesses from ransomware attacks is $133,000. (SafeAtLast)

4. 52% of breaches involved hacking, 28% malware, 32% phishing, and 33% included social engineering (Verizon)

5. The average lifecycle of a breach is 314 days (time of breach to containment). (IBM)

6. The average cost to businesses for each data breach was $3.92 million as of 2019. (Security Intelligence)

7. 1 of every 13 web requests leads to malware. (Symantec)

8. 63% of all threats detected by Cisco Stealthwatch were discovered in encrypted traffic. (Cisco)

9. Phishing has by far the highest success rate among cyber threats and was the primary weapon used in 32% of data breaches (Verizon)

10. Small and medium businesses (1–250 employees) have the highest targeted malicious email rate at 1 in 323. (Symantec)

11. Damage due to cybercrime could hit $6 trillion annually by 2021. (Cybersecurity Ventures)

12. 82% of employers reported a lack of cybersecurity skills. (ISSA)

13. Malicious apps were found most frequently in lifestyle (15%), and entertainment (7%) categories. (Symantec)

14. 98% of all cyber attacks use social engineering tactics. (Purplesec)

15. Information loss is the most expensive cost incurred from cyber attacks at $5.9 million on average. (Accenture)

16. Breaches were most expensive in the United States ($225 per lost or stolen record per individual) and Canada ($190). (Ponemon Institute)

17. 63% of successful attacks are through internal sources — control, errors, or fraud. (Purplesec)

18. In 2019, Cisco’s Intelligence Service Talos found 74 malicious groups on Facebook totaling close to 385,000 members that engaged in cybercrime. (Talos)

19. 53% of companies reported having at least 1000 sensitive files accessible by all employees. (Varonis)

20. New employees are often the most susceptible to social engineering attacks. 60% of IT professionals designated recent hires as high-risk. (Purplesec)

So, what do all these stats tell us? It is clear from industry data that there are a few lessons we need to learn.

• Employees — especially new hires — need proper onboarding and regular knowledge checks.
• Cybersecurity equates to risk mitigation and should be a top priority for every company. Business VPNs, secure remote access, and reliable software and services are critical.
• Defending against social engineering tactics requires cognizance and caution.

Stay safe, everyone.

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