Cyber attacks cost US businesses and web users over $8bn in 2014, according to data from the FBI.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) reported the figure in its 2014 Internet Crime Report, listing it as proof of the growing threat of cyber attacks.
“In 2014, the IC3 received 269,422 complaints with an adjusted dollar loss of $800,492,073,” read the report.
“On average, approximately 22,000 complaints were received each month. Internet crime has become a global issue with the sophistication of online criminal techniques and overlapping jurisdictional boundaries.”
The report said that 123,684 of the reported incidents resulted in financial loss at an average of $2,971 each.
Growth in the number and sophistication of phishing attacks targeting business was listed as a growth area in cyber crime, accounting for $226m of the reported loss.
“The ‘business email compromise’ scam continued to evolve, and in 2014 victim
businesses reported having personal emails compromised and multiple fraudulent requests for payment sent to vendors identified from their contact list,” read the report.
“Victims of these scams may be used to unknowingly transfer fraudulent funds on behalf of the perpetrators. In 2014, the IC3 received 2,417 ‘business email compromise’ complaints with a total reported loss of $226m.”
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) reported the figure in its 2014 Internet Crime Report, listing it as proof of the growing threat of cyber attacks.
“In 2014, the IC3 received 269,422 complaints with an adjusted dollar loss of $800,492,073,” read the report.
“On average, approximately 22,000 complaints were received each month. Internet crime has become a global issue with the sophistication of online criminal techniques and overlapping jurisdictional boundaries.”
The report said that 123,684 of the reported incidents resulted in financial loss at an average of $2,971 each.
Growth in the number and sophistication of phishing attacks targeting business was listed as a growth area in cyber crime, accounting for $226m of the reported loss.
“The ‘business email compromise’ scam continued to evolve, and in 2014 victim
businesses reported having personal emails compromised and multiple fraudulent requests for payment sent to vendors identified from their contact list,” read the report.
“Victims of these scams may be used to unknowingly transfer fraudulent funds on behalf of the perpetrators. In 2014, the IC3 received 2,417 ‘business email compromise’ complaints with a total reported loss of $226m.”
Source: New feed