2021 Cyber Attacks Statistics: a Kilobyte of Prevention Is Worth a Terabyte of Cure

There is both bad and good news about cybercrime. The bad news is that cyber-attacks were on the rise in 2021: statistics indicate that there were about 1,200 major security incidents this year, and there is a clear tendency for this figure to increase 50% year-over-year. The good news is that data breach costs can easily be reduced by investing in two important spheres: cyber awareness training for employees and reliable security applications.

Phishing

Phishing attacks are continually on the rise. It is no wonder that crime that involved phishing was most common in the cybercrime statistics for 2021: its share is estimated to vary between 36 and 38 percent. These attacks work like this: the perpetrator sends their potential victims a fraudulent message that looks very much like the real thing (just like a fishing lure resembles real prey, hence the name ‘phishing’). The victim then is tricked into revealing their sensitive information: among other things, this might involve filling out fake forms or downloading and installing malicious software. It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of companies worldwide experienced at least one phishing attempt; on average, about 20% of employees click on fraudulent links, and about 4% of personnel are likely to fill out the forms on phishing websites.

Statistics for 2021 show that cybercriminals actively used COVID-19-related topics in their phishing scams. The most common of them were:

• Fake vaccination surveys or news bulletins on coronavirus case numbers with true facts and fraudulent links.
• With cryptocurrencies on the rise, there were a number of cyber-attacks where criminals offered users to ‘invest’ or ‘trade’ in a specific cryptocurrency.
• News about upcoming sports events or new TV shows.
• Company employees proved to be very prone to phishing scams that involve news about an alleged rise in salary, various perks and bonuses, and additional health insurance programs.
• There are also scammers who use the polar opposite of the pay rise: they send emails about upcoming job losses.
• Every person who goes on vacation should be aware of fake hotel booking resources and ticket-selling agencies.

The facts are that most phishing schemes succeed because of their victim’s lack of attention or knowledge. Thus, spending money on cyber security training of personnel is always a wise move. You might also want to use a DNS firewall that prevents cybercrime by simply blocking access to malicious websites. You or your employees might be tricked by scammers, but a DNS firewall is always on the alert.  

Password Management

Experts say that more than 60% of breaches of cybersecurity became possible because of the theft of passwords and other credentials. In some cases, hackers use stolen passwords to get access to the network or computer and then sell the acquired information. There is also an alternative crime scheme: hackers acquire full control over the network and then demand a ransom from its legitimate owner. Thus, the passwords are the most attractive targets a scammer can get.

In general, people have difficulty memorizing long hack-proof passwords. Such combinations as ‘123456’, ‘qwerty’, ‘password’, ‘abc123’, 'iloveyou', ‘princess’ and 'pokemon' have been keeping their popularity among the users all over the world for almost thirty years. While easy to remember, they are even easier to crack. The same goes to pseudo-unique passwords like the name of your cat, your birthday, and your address. The facts are after hackers have gone through the list of most popular combinations, they are very likely to use the information about you that can be easily found in your Facebook page and/or other social media.

What’s more, users tend to use the same password over and over again. According to cybersecurity statistics for 2021, less than half of the passwords people use on the Internet are truly unique. This means that having gotten hold of one of your passwords, hackers often get access not to one, but to several accounts.

Another mistake a lot of people make is to use their cellphone or a notepad (or even a ‘secret piece of paper’) to store all their combinations. This practice both makes it easier to steal all your accounts at once and makes you helpless once you’ve lost possession of the phone/pad.

So, what can you do to efficiently protect your passwords? While some people have no problem memorizing long combinations of digits and letters, others are unable to remember their spouse’s date of birth. If your memory is limited, use a reliable password manager that:

• encodes your passwords using state-of-the-art cryptographic algorithms,
• generates long hack-proof combinations,
• employs two-factor authentication.

Internet Traffic Interception

One of the most astonishing cyber security facts of 2021 is that more than 20% of WiFi hotspots in the world still do not employ any data encryption at all. A combination of such an open access point and a website that uses the HTTP protocol is a recipe for disaster.

Websites that run on the obsolete HTTP protocol lack cybersecurity and do not encrypt their internet traffic, and if you access them using a WiFi hotspot with no data protection, this means that anyone with a 2.4 GHz radio receiver can intercept and easily read the data you send over such a network. This information can be further used to get hold of your passwords and other credentials.

While there is a general perception that VPNs exist to help users access geo-restricted content, in fact, leading Virtual Private Network providers offer an even more important security service: they encrypt their internet traffic and protect the privacy of their users. Thus, if you connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot in a hotel or café, be sure to connect to a VPN to get adequate protection.

Use MonoDefense to ensure your digital security

MonoDefense is a bundle of several applications that protect your privacy and keep you safe from hackers and scammers. The bundle includes:

DNS Firewall — blocks access to malicious websites. Even if a phishing message manages to persuade you to click on the fraudulent link, DNS Firewall will cut in and prevent you from making a costly mistake. What’s more, DNS Firewall can be fine-tuned to block gambling, gaming, adult content, and/or fake news sites: use it to protect your family from dubious content.

Passwarden — an easy-to-use password manager that features AES-256 and ЕС р-384 encryption protocols, generates strong unique passwords and automatically stores them in the secure vault, can be integrated with all popular browsers, and uses two-factor authentication for greater security. Not only does Passwarden remember your passwords for you: you can use it to store any important text information.

VPN Unlimited — a popular Virtual Private Network service with as many as 500+ servers in 80+ geolocations. Use it to enjoy any geo-restricted content on various streaming services (including such market leaders as Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max), ensure your anonymity, and keep your internet traffic secured with the virtually unbreakable AES-256 protocol. VPN Unlimited is very easy to install and use; you can integrate the application with all popular browsers, operating systems, and digital platforms.

SmartDNS — while not a security application per se, you can use this part of the bundle if you want to bypass geo-restrictions and enjoy any show/program on any streaming platform, but your connection speed is not high enough to support traffic encryption or the digital platform your device works on doesn’t support VPN Unlimited. The facts are smart DNS is very fast — and incredibly easy to pair up with your smart TV/laptop/smartphone.

2021 Cybersecurity FAQ

How many cyber attacks were there in 2021?

There were as many as 1,200 security breaches that lead to serious financial damage; this figure is expected to rise in 2022. It’s difficult to find valid statistics on the smaller-scale cybercrime as a lot of incidents are not reported. A ballpark estimate is that globally there are hundreds of thousands of small-scale cyber attacks — and this figure is also on the rise.

What are the most important facts concerning cybercrime statistics for 2021?

From 90 to 95% of all cybersecurity breaches were caused by the human factor. Thus, there are two ways to reduce risks of losses from cyber attacks: a) learn more about phishing, traffic interception, password management, etc; b) invest in dependable cybersecurity software like MonoDefense.

How does DNS Firewall protect me from malware?

Statistics show that almost 95% of malware is delivered via email. DNS Firewall fights these attacks by disabling the links to fraudulent websites.

What are the benefits of using Passwarden?

The facts are people, in general, are bad at memorizing secret combinations. Passwarden generates unique passwords that are made of truly random digits and letters, encrypts these combinations using state-of-the-art algorithms, stores them in a secure vault, and fills out the forms for you. Cybersecurity has never before been that user-friendly!

Why should I use VPN Unlimited?

VPN Unlimited prevents crime and protects your privacy by encoding your internet traffic. Even if perpetrators intercept encrypted data, they won’t be able to decode and use it. What’s more, with political turmoil and local censorship on the rise, you might want to disclose as few facts about your persona as possible: VPN Unlimited is ideal for preserving your anonymity. It also helps you to enjoy the full library of films and shows on Netflix (as well as all other major platforms) from any spot on the planet!

What is Smart DNS for?

While Smart DNS is not meant to fight cybercrime or improve cybersecurity statistics, it comes in handy when you want to enjoy the latest episode of a geo-restricted Netflix show, and the sad facts are your connection speed is too slow and/or your digital platform is too obsolete to support a VPN.

Will cybercrime continue to be on the rise in the 2020s?

The more digital our world gets, the greater number of perpetrators choose the Internet as their field of operations. Invest in kilobytes of cybersecurity and keep your terabytes of sensitive data out of harm’s way!