Cybercrime: 70% of All Hacks Happen in USA and Canada

Last updated on June 7, 2024

A 2023 data breach report from Verizon found that almost 70% (68.96% to be exact) of all recorded data breaches happened in the North America (NA) region. The NA region comprises the United States and Canada and clearly tops the hack statistics. The report shows that USA and Canada alone are almost 2.5 times more hacked than all other countries combined.

Top 10 Hacking Stats in 2023 for USA and Canada

1. USA and Canada combined had the highest number of incidents (9,036) and breaches (1,924) among the regions. The runner-up was Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) with 2,557 incidents and 637 breaches.
2. USA and Canada accounted for 70% of all incidents and 69% of all breaches in the DBIR data set, while the second was EMEA which accounted for merely 20% of incidents and 20% of breaches.
3. USA and Canada were mainly affected by Denial of Service incidents (3,418) but also experienced loss or theft of assets (2,027) as well as system intrusion (1,996) and social engineering (1,078).
4. Hacking (4,651), human error (2,061), and malware (1,969) were the three main causes of incidents in the United States and Canada.
5. System intrusion, basic web application attacks, and social engineering represent 85% of breaches.
6. The vast majority (94%) of breaches in North America involved external threat actors with internal actors constituting only 12%.
7. 9% of breaches involved multiple threat actors, meaning both external and internal threat actors were used for the same attack.
8. 2% of breaches involved partners, meaning any third parties (suppliers, vendors, hosting providers, or outsourced IT support) that have a business connection with the organization.
9. Hackers conduct breaches on American businesses with financial (99%), espionage (1%), and grudge (1%) motives in mind.
10. Hacks conducted on US and Canadian companies mostly compromise credentials (67%), internal data (50%), and personal data (38%).

How North America Became the Prime Target for Hackers

USA and Canada have complex and diverse digital landscapes, with millions of users, devices, networks, systems, and applications. This creates many challenges for cybersecurity, as hackers can exploit vulnerabilities, gaps, or mismatches in security policies, standards, or practices across different sectors, regions, and organizations. Further, USA and Canada are among the richest and most influential countries in the world, with large and diverse economies, technological presence, and high levels of innovation. This makes them lucrative targets for hackers who want to steal money and data or cause damage and disruption.

USA and Canada Are Affected By These Cyber Threats

The DBIR report shows that North America is the most hacked region in the world, facing a barrage of cyberattacks from various sources and methods. The report also reveals some of the new and evolving threats that hackers are using to breach data, systems, and networks in the region, such as:

• Ransomware: This is malicious software that locks the victim’s data or system, and demands money for its release. Ransomware attacks have skyrocketed in number and impact, hitting both big and small organizations across different sectors.
• Social Engineering: This is a manipulation technique that exploits human behavior and error to gain access to sensitive or confidential information. Social engineering attacks often involve phishing emails, fake websites, or impersonation of trusted entities or individuals.
• Human Error: This is a mistake or oversight made by a user that compromises security or privacy. Human error can be caused by a lack of awareness, training, or attention. Or by emotional factors like stress, fear, or curiosity. Human error can lead to data breaches, malware infections, and identity theft.
• System Intrusion: This is unauthorized access to a system or network, often by exploiting vulnerabilities or using stolen credentials. System intrusion attacks can allow hackers to steal data, disrupt operations, install malware, or gain control of devices and resources.
• Web Application Attacks: This is an attack that targets web applications or websites, often by injecting malicious code or exploiting input validation flaws. Web application attacks can compromise the security, functionality, or performance of web applications and expose sensitive data or credentials.

These are only a few of the many threats American companies have to face every day. But it shows that American businesses need to be prepared for a wide range of challenges. For that reason, the Verizon report provides some recommendations for organizations to improve their cybersecurity posture and resilience.

How to Survive Cybercrime in North America

One of the most important and effective security measures against hacks proposed by the Verizon Data Breach Report is to enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all users and accounts in the organization.

MFA is a security mechanism that requires users to provide two or more pieces of evidence to verify their identity before accessing a system or service. These pieces of evidence are also called authentication factors. They can be something you know (such as a password), something you have (such as a token or a smartphone), or something you are (such as a fingerprint or a face scan). MFA adds an extra layer of protection against credential theft, phishing, and brute-force attacks.

According to Microsoft, MFA can prevent 99.9% of account compromise attacks. It’s easy to implement and use. This is because good MFA solutions, like Rublon MFA, offer many options and policies available for different needs and preferences. If you want your organization to be secure, enable company-wide MFA for all users as soon as possible.

Why You Need Rublon MFA to Stop Hackers

Rublon MFA is a cloud-based service that secures user access to your data, systems, and applications. It prevents up to 99% of cyberattacks that target your credentials and data. It is easy to use and deploy, compatible with almost any technology, and trusted by companies from over 50 countries. Start your free 30-day trial of Rublon MFA today and stop hackers in their tracks.

Conclusion

Cybercrime is a serious and growing threat to the United States and Canada, as the DBIR report shows. The region accounts for 70% of all data breaches in the world and faces various types of cyberattacks from financially motivated external actors. Organizations need to be aware of the current and emerging threats in the cyber landscape and take proactive steps to protect their data, systems, and users. Cybersecurity is not a one-time effort, but a continuous process that requires constant vigilance, adaptation, and improvement. However, one of the most effective ways to instantly enhance the security posture of your company is to enable MFA for all users in your organization, a top recommendation from the DBIR report.