Phishing and Email Fraud Statistics 2019
- The average financial cost of a data breach is $3.86m (IBM)
- Phishing accounts for 90% of data breaches
- 15% of people successfully phished will be targeted at least one more time within the year
- BEC scams accounted for over $12 billion in losses (FBI)
- Phishing attempts have grown 65% in the last year
- Around 1.5m new phishing sites are created each month (Webroot)
- 76% of businesses reported being a victim of a phishing attack in the last year
- 30% of phishing messages get opened by targeted users (Verizon)
Phishing and email attacks are not only increasing as time goes on and our lives and data get stored online, but they’re evolving. Understand how Phishing and Email Fraud are repeatedly affecting executives and companies worldwide and how you can protect yourself.
Phishing Infographic
Want a more visual representation of the different kinds of email attacks, the damage phishing attacks can cause and the statistics of open and click rates? Check out this phishing and email fraud infographic.
Phishing Glossary of Terms
- Phishing - A phishing email is a fraudulent attempt to get sensitive data or information from people like their usernames, passwords, financial information or credit card details, by disguising as someone trustworthy.
- Whaling - A whaling attack is in the category of phishing emails and specifically targets high profile individuals and executives with valuable information.
- Spear phishing - Spear phishing is when an attacker singles out a specific organization or individual in order to gain access to sensitive data.
- CEO fraud - CEO fraud is when a hacker sends an email to an employee of a company posing as the CEO and requesting the transfer of funds or access to information.
Legal Disputes Involving Phishing
Companies are turning to lawsuits to make up for their losses due to phishing attacks and email scams.
- Seagate vs employees
- Microsoft Corp. vs phishers
- Rockhurst University vs student
- Anthem Inc. vs plaintiffs
- Microsoft & Amazon vs companies
- Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. vs employee
- Papyrus vs employees
- Lincare vs employees
The Latest in Phishing
Take a look at some of the latest findings and articles on phishing and email fraud
- Phishing, and Jeff Bezos’ Regret Minimization Framework
- Children’s Mercy Hospital Phishing Attack Impacts PHI of 60K
- We've all Had This Moment
- Phish Your Own Business to Expose Vulnerabilities
- The Email That Changed America — Would You Have Fallen For It?
- Protect Those You Care About
- We’re All Sitting On An Asset We’re Not Using
Phishing Reading
Keep up with the latest talks and happenings in the email security
The Biggest Digital Heist in History Isn’t Over Yet
“Carbanak’s suspected ringleader is under arrest, but $1.2 billion remains missing, and his malware attacks live on.”
Business pros beware: Phishing attacks are impersonating Netflix and Citibank
“Phishing attacks via email have increased in the past couple months. Here are the latest tactics cybercriminals are using and how to protect yourself.”
Modern Phishing Campaigns And Effective Prevention
“Traditional phishing techniques are being reshaped and are now becoming more consumer-focused using new methods and new spreading vectors.”
Popular Retruster Blogs
Check out our top-read blog posts on phishing and learn how you can protect yourself and your organization
We’re All Sitting On An Asset We’re Not Using
“There is so much information there, so much data, so much value, it’s almost priceless. The problem is that at the moment, it’s like hundreds of horses galloping in different directions.”
The Email That Changed America — Would You Have Fallen For It?
“It was a single email that quite possibly changed the course of history. It was a single email that was used to gain access to thousands of Hillary Clinton and DNC emails. “
Phishing, and Jeff Bezos’ Regret Minimization Framework
“It’s no doubt that phishing is nasty, and it’s unfortunate that it has to happen to innocent people. We can’t change the fact that phishing happens, we can only change our decisions and the way we react – and prepare. “
Phishing and the Final Word
Phishing is mean, nast, unfair BUT a reality. According to Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations 30% of phishing messages get opened by targeted users. With high stats like these, it’s no wonder phishers keep at it and target victims both weak and strong.
So before you get phished, ensure you have the security measures in place to protect yourself. Stay informed of your emails, who they’re coming from, what they want and if the email is legitimate or not. Use Retruster today!