2018 in Numbers: Data Breaches Cost $654 Billion, Expose 2.8 Billion Data Records in the U.S.

Cybercriminals exposed 2.8 billion consumer data records in 2018, costing over $654 billion to U.S. organizations, according to ForgeRock.

Cyberattacks to U.S. financial services organizations cost the industry over .2 billion in Q1 2019 alone, up from just million in Q1 2018.

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Even though investments in information security products and services have been on the rise, with $114 billion invested in 2018, cybercriminals continue to attack organizations across a wide spectrum of industries to gain access to valuable consumer data.

According to the research, personally identifiable information (PII) was the most targeted data for breaches in 2018, comprising 97% of all breaches. By targeting PII, cybercriminals prove that they’re hungry for consumer data and the research also found the most frequent attack method was from unauthorized access, encompassing 34% of all attacks. Healthcare, financial services and government were the sectors most largely impacted by cyberattacks.

Text graphic representing 'Cyber Security' with shattered glass effect.

Read more: Help Net Security

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