Interesting statistics for cybersecurity breaches in the recent years
Tags: statistics, cybersecurity, breaches, cyberattacks
Published: 2023-09-13 08:22:20


- 37 billion records exposed in data breaches in 2020, a 141% increase from the previous year. In the same year, the top three industries affected by data breaches were healthcare, retail, and government, with the most common type of breach being hacking. (RiskBased Security) 
- In 2020, phishing attacks accounted for 36% of all data breaches, while stolen or compromised credentials accounted for 25% of breaches. Additionally, ransomware attacks increased by 62% from 2019 to 2020, with the healthcare industry being the most targeted. (Verizon) 
- There were over 304.7 million ransomware attacks in the first half of 2021, which is a 151% increase from the same period in 2020. (SonicWall) 
- There were 5.4 billion records breached in the first half of 2021, which is already higher than the total number of records breached in 2020. (Security Magazine) 
- The average cost of a data breach in 2020 was $3.86 million. (IBM) 
- The number of publicly reported cyber incidents increased by 88% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. (McAfee) 
- The healthcare industry experienced a 45% increase in cyber-attacks in 2020. (Bitglass) 
- The top three types of breaches in 2020 were hacking (47.7%), data exposure (25.2%), and phishing (17.4%). (RiskBased Security) 
- There was a 50% increase in cyber-attacks against healthcare organizations in November and December of 2020. (Check Point Research) 
- The average time to identify a data breach was 207 days in 2020, while the average time to contain it was 73 days. (IBM) 
- 43% of cyber-attacks in 2020 targeted small businesses. (Symantec) 
- The education sector had the highest number of security incidents in 2020, with hacking being the most common type of attack. (Verizon) 

### What are these statistics telling us?

That you can safely invest your time and knowledge in cybersecurity because of: 
- **High demand:** As cyber threats continue to increase, there is a high demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals across industries, which means that job security and advancement opportunities are excellent. 
- **Diverse career paths:** The field of cybersecurity is broad, with a range of job roles and specializations, including cybersecurity analyst, network security engineer, information security manager, cybersecurity consultant, and many more. 
- **Continuous learning:** The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, with new threats and challenges emerging every day. Therefore, a career in cybersecurity requires continuous learning and development of new skills, making it an exciting and challenging field. 
- **Competitive salaries:** Due to the high demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals, the field typically offers competitive salaries and benefits packages. 
- **Meaningful work:** Cybersecurity professionals play a critical role in protecting organizations' and individuals' sensitive information, making their work meaningful and fulfilling. 
- **Flexibility:** Many cybersecurity jobs offer flexible work arrangements, including remote work options, making it possible to balance work and personal life. 

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