Hacking has become a serious concern for everyone. It’s no longer just something that big businesses have to worry about.
The truth is, most people have huge amounts of personal detail online, combine this with poor-quality passwords and it’s not surprising that hackers are now targeting anyone and everyone.
If you want to avoid being hacked you’re going to need security in place. It should be good enough to cope with multiple threats, such as phishing, viruses, ransomware, and direct attacks on your passwords.
The following top hacking statistics for 2025 will show you are serious a threat hacking is. It’s time you took it seriously.
Key Hacking Statistics in 2025
- Cyber attacks occur once every 39 seconds
- It’s estimated 30,000 websites are hacked daily
- 95% of cyberattacks are possible thanks to human error
- It’s estimated cybercrime will cost the planet $10.5 trillion a year by 2025!
- 64% of companies have been victims of at least one cyber attack
- 94% of malware arrives via email
- Ransom cases in 2021 were 92.7% higher than in 2020
- 65% of large businesses have over 500 employees who are still using their original password
That’s just 8 key hacking statistics for 2025. There are plenty more which will scare you into upgrading your network security.
1. Cyber Attacks Occur Once Every 39 Seconds
Cybercrime is a numbers game. The more attacks that are launched the higher the chance of success. To this end, cybercriminals maunch as many as 2,244 attacks daily.
If you break that down there is a cyber attack done every 39 seconds. Thankfully, not all attacks are successful, but some are.
The reason this rate is steady and even increasing is that hackers don’t sit still. They are constantly looking for new vulnerabilities on the web and methods of hacking individuals and businesses.
That’s why cybersecurity is a billion-dollar industry, it needs to protect against threats before they happen.
(University of Maryland)
2. It’s Estimated 30,000 Websites Are Hacked Daily
Some large organizations are more vulnerable to cyber attacks than others. Financial and healthcare systems are particularly common targets as a successful attack would create a significant amount of useful data.
Unfortunately, the sheer number of attacks means that approximately 30,000 websites are successfully hacked daily. In many cases it’s the plugins that make a site vulnerable.
If you’re operating a site you should be waryè of plugins and make sure you use plenty of effective security plugins.
(Arx Security)
3. 95% of Cyberattacks Are Possible Thanks to Human Error
The biggest problem with cybersecurity is that many people aren’t aware of potential threats until it is too late. Carelessly selecting links and downloading files results in malware, spyware, and ransomware infiltrating business systems.
In 95% of cases these issues are caused by an error of judgment. That’s a human error.
Alongside not clicking unknown links you should keep all software up to date and encrypt your data when it is being sent over the internet.
(zippia)
4. It’s Estimated Cybercrime Will Cost the Planet $10.5 Trillion a Year by 2025!
Cybersecurity is a billion dollar industry. It increases in size and value every year in direct response to the number and intensity of cyberattacks.
The latest figures suggest the planet will spend $6 trillion on cybersecurity this year. As more people get online, hackers will find it easier to locate targets.
The result will be a greater need for cyber defense and more money spent within the cybersecurity industry.
Currently, the rate of cybercrime is increasing by 15% a year. It’s highly likely that cybercrime will cost the globe $10.5 trillion a year by 2025.
That’s a significant amount of money which could be used to improve education, reduce work hunger, or fix a variety of other issues.
(zippia)
5. 64% of Companies Have Been Victims of At Least One Cyber Attack
The number of cyber attacks performed during the global pandemic increased by a whopping 400%. The inability of many people to get to work and the increase in home working left many individuals and businesses exposed.
Put simply, remote working gave hackers a new way to get inside company systems and steal data. Reported incidents rose from 1,000 a day to between 3,000-4,000.
The majority of cyber attacks are still aimed at businesses and corporations. This is where hackers are likely to make the most money and damage as many systems as possible.
Unfortunately, despite an improved awareness, 64% of businesses have experienced a cyberattack at least once.
(Cybint Solutions)
6. 94% of Malware Arrives via Email
Emails are the weak link in any chain of command. No matter how solid the business is and how good the anti-hacking system is, a hacker can gain access simply by using your username and password.
The easiest way for a hacker to get your information, allowing them to log in and steal your data, is to add malware to emails. Send enough emails to a group of people and one will open it.
By increasing the number of people remote working this tactic has become even easier for hackers. Unfortunately, it works. One person opens the email with its hidden malware and the hacker has access to all the business systems and financial information.
In 94% of cases, malware arrives via an email which is opened by an employee, either by accident or out of curiosity.
(Deloitte)
7. Ransom Cases in 2021 Were 92.7% Higher than In 2020
Hackers are increasingly using ransomware to hijack your machine. They don’t need any of the information from the device, simply to ensure you can’t access anything.
As soon as they do this they can create a ransom demand, forcing you to pay or lose your data. It’s often too important to lose.
The pandemic increased the number of people working from home without adequate security measures, making it easier for hackers to get ransomware onto the system.
This led to an impressive 92.7% jump in ransom cases in 2021.
Sources also show that a business fell victim to a ransomware attack every 11 seconds in 2022, showing the rate of attacks hasn’t reduced even post-pandemic.
(Dataprot)
8. 65% of Large Businesses Have Over 500 Employees Who Are Still Using Their Original Password
This is a truly alarming fact! Passwords should be changed regularly, the longer they are left the same the more time a hacker has to figure them out.
In addition, people that don’t change passwords are more likely to use the same password on more than one system. The result is one hack can allow a hacker to access multiple systems.
When you realize that 63% of all business data breaches are a result of compromised passwords you can quickly see how easy it would be to reduce successful hacking attempts, simply change passwords regularly and use strong ones.
(ID Agent)
Protecting Yourself From Hackers
The most important step in protecting yourself from hackers is to choose a strong password.
That means selecting one that is at least 12 characters long, has lower and uppercase letters, at least one number, and a character. In addition, the phrase should be random. That will make it much harder for anyone to figure it out. It’s a good idea to use a password manager to generate passwords for you.
Of course, it also helps to change the password regularly and invest in the best possible cyber security. There are plenty of professionals that can help with this.
Where possible you should also use dual-factor authentication. At present, hackers have been unable to find a way around this system, making it the perfect way to protect your data.
FAQs
What’s the Best Way to Avoid a Phishing Attack?
The simplest and most effective way to avoid phishing attacks is to avoid quickly clicking on links. You should consider any link in an email suspicious or dangerous.
Unless you’re expecting a link then don’t open it. You can access websites to check details directly, without clicking on the link. If the email comes from someone you know then check with them regarding the link.
What Is Social Engineering and How Is It Connected to Cyber Attacks?
Social engineering refers to when hackers look at social media accounts to glean information.
If you pause to think about your social media account you’ll probably realize it has your name, contact details, date of birth, and several other pertinent pieces of information.
This includes your hobbies and favorite pastimes. The result is enough information to give a hacker an idea of your passwords. Because, in most cases, people base their passwords on their life.
With this information a hacker will find it much easier to cork out your password and access your financial and personal information.
Cyber Security Is Getting Better, Does that Mean the Threats Are Reducing?
Sadly this isn’t the case. Cyber security is increasing as a reaction to the increased number and complexity of threats.
While some cyber security measures are anticipating issues and preventing them from becoming problems, many are simply dealing with current threats, helping to keep your data safe.
In short, as long as cyber criminals are getting more diverse and creating more complex hacks, cyber security will continue to grow as an industry.
How Many Data Breaches Took Place in 2021?
The number of hacking attempts is not the same as the number of breaches. In many cases a hacking attempt is unsuccessful.
However, in 2021 there were 1,862 data breaches. These are the ones that were reported. It was 68% higher than 2020.
The reason for this increase is believed to be a change of tactics by cyber criminals.
They have begun to attack smaller targets with focused attacks. These will provide less data but are more likely to yield results.
Can Anyone Be Hacked?
Yes. Individuals, small businesses, and large organizations can all be hacked. The moment your organization draws attention to itself is when you become at risk.
The only way to prevent being hacked is to maintain the highest possible cyber security. But, sometimes even this isn’t enough.
For example, in 2017 Equifax lost 147 million credit card numbers and expiry dates in a massive data breach. If they can’t protect their data, who can?
Summing Up
Millions of people lose their data every year to hacks. The top hacking statistics for 2025 show you that hacking is still a very real threat and one you should take seriously.
It’s advisable to review your security protocols regularly and change passwords at least once every three months.
The more you can do to protect your information the harder it will be for hackers.
At the least, you’ll be persuading them to move on and find an easier target.