The Crucial Details Of Internet Safety Statistics

The Internet has been – and is currently a part of people’s daily lives. Despite this, the Internet can also be a dangerous place. According to the Pew Research Center, 53% of Internet users are concerned about online safety. 

Knowing about the possibility of dangers is key to staying safe online. Here are some numbers and facts that can help you understand the world of internet safety.

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• The average data breach cost reached $4.35 million worldwide in 2022. 
• In a 2022 survey, 3 out 4 respondents claimed they had encountered smishing attacks in their organizations. 
• Over 50% of respondents considered fraud the most concerning cybercrime issue on mobile apps in 2022. 
• In 2022, 7 children experienced online exploitation daily. 
• 41% of U.S. Internet users have experienced online harassment in 2021. 
• In a 2021 global study, 53% of women feel unsafe online.
• An estimated 33 million households have paid for antivirus software in 2023. 
• 7 in 10 Internet users had taken steps to secure their online privacy as of January 2023. 
• 1.6 billion Internet users utilized VPNs in 2021. 
• As of January 2023, Australia topped the list of countries willing to do more to secure their digital privacy.

How Safe is the Internet? 

In 2022, the (FBI) Internet Crime Report recorded 800,944 cybercrime complaints, proving that internet safety is still a serious problem.

Internet browsing can lead people to daily online threats – scams, cyberbullying, phishing, etc. On top of that, there are data breaches of big companies we use in our day-to-day life, and it takes at least 196 days to identify a breach. 

Think Twice Before You Click Something Online

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Here are some stats to shed some light on present conditions of internet safety.

Statistics on Crimes Committed Using the Internet

In the first quarter of 2023, a 7% increase in cyber-attacks was observed worldwide. Education and research are among the most vulnerable sectors, which have experienced an average of 2507 per organization weekly.

Also, over 6 million data records were exposed through data breaches in the same period.

Here are valuable statistics showing how cyber-attacks and cybercrimes affect various institutions and sectors worldwide. 

1. In 2022, the global average data breach cost reached $4.35 million. 

(IBM)

The cost of a data breach continues to soar yearly. In 2020, the average total cost was $3.86 million, then it climbed to $4.24 million in 2021 and $4.35 million in 2022. 

For 12 years, the US has had the highest cost of data breaches, even surpassing the global average at $5.09 million in 2022. 

The data above represents that people’s data are not always safe on the internet – individuals and businesses are always at risk from hackers. 

2. The 23,000 cybersecurity incidents recorded worldwide from 2020 to 2021 were primarily from the finance industry.

(Gitnux, Statista)

Finance is the most targeted global industry sector of cybercrime. The 23,000 cybersecurity incidents recorded worldwide from 2020 to 2021 were primarily from the financial industry. 

Of these thousands of incidents, 2,527 was from the finance industry in 2021. The data above points out the internet’s dangers, especially for businesses. 

In 2022, Forbes reported that 43% of cyberattacks are directed toward small businesses because only 14% of these companies have necessary defenses, and 83% need to prepare for the attacks. 

Cybercriminals target them because of the money they can get from hacking and breaching their data. Digital technology may bring pros to their daily operations, but they should also consider its disadvantages. 

3. Since March 2020, people have spent 45% more time on social media daily.

(Statista)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in people’s social media usage statistics. According to Statista, people spend 45% of their time browsing social media during this time for entertainment and recreation. 

With this, cybercriminals also spent many hours in 2020. New forms of cyberattacks and malware activities were widespread during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which attempted to compromise a computer system, network, or device. 

4. In 2022, a survey revealed that 3 in 4 respondents had encountered smishing attacks in their organizations.  

(Statista)

A survey conducted among IT professionals and adult workers worldwide showed 3 out 4 respondents reported smishing attacks in their organizations. 

Since text messaging is prevalent among organizations as a communication channel, 74% have experienced smishing in 2021. 

5. 55.7% of respondents considered fraud the most concerning cybercrime issue on mobile apps in 2022. 

(Statista)

A global consumer survey revealed that 55.7% of respondents are wary about fraud attacking mobile apps. 

Also, over half of the respondents have shown worry that the apps they use could be hacked. 

𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 is a method of detecting vulnerable nodes in a network by accessing different or the same ports on a host. It can be used by cybercriminals in the preparatory phase of an attack! pic.twitter.com/5d04682mH0

— Kaspersky (@kaspersky) July 15, 2023

Internet Crime Victim Demographics

The Internet is also where you can be a victim, regardless of age. Data showed that people aged 20 are the most resilient group, while those 30 to 39 are the most affected by cybercrimes since 2015. 

These crimes include sexual harassment, stalking, scamming, and many more. It is becoming rampant as the years go by. Due to this, the world now sees alarming numbers of internet crime victim demographics. 

This time, you will read statistics that help keep you safer. 

6. In 2022, approximately 7 children faced online exploitation daily. 

(Surfshark, Enough is Enough)

Compared to 2021, the FBI Internet Crime Center reported a 20% increase in the number of children who are victims of cybercrimes. If put into perspective, 7 children have experienced online exploitation daily. 

The financial loss of child online exploitation increased by more than 2 times. In 2021, the average cost per victim was $92. However, in 2022, it grew to $223, considered the highest loss this decade. 

Some of the reports you can review are the following:

• 12 million children can experience cyber risk in the United States.
• 59% of young people aged 15 to 25 have experienced bullying.
• 59% of boys and 60% of girls have experienced at least one abusive online behavior. 
• 49% of teens claim that their parents never monitor their devices.
• 1 out of 5 teens confessed that they used private browsers so their parents could not monitor what sites they visited.
• Teens usually spend over 5 hours online every day.
• About 58% of parents are concerned about their children’s internet habits.  
• 17% of teens said they had received messages that made them uncomfortable. 

Gen Z spends at least 7 hours per day browsing the internet, which makes them vulnerable to cybercrimes. The data above shows that children and teen cybercrime victims continue to rise. 

7. In a January 2021 survey among US Internet users, 41% have experienced online harassment. 

(Statista, Gitnux)

Online harassment is rampant in the US, especially in 2021, when at least 41% of Internet users have experienced it. The data also showed that 27% of the respondents had experienced severe forms of harassment online, such as physical threats, sexual harassment, stalking, and sustained harassment. 

Other data on online harassment include: 

• In 2020, 1.4 million Americans filed complaints about their identities. 
• 98% of sex offenders get their victims online. 
• 1 out of 5 Americans received different forms of harassment on the Internet. 
• Last 2021, data predicted that there were 2.5 billion cybercrime victims. 
• Older adults aged 65 (38%) contacted customer support more than younger generations aged 18 to 25 for internet problems (18%).

Results like these indicate that anyone can be a victim of harassment, whether offline or online. Harassers can find their victims whenever and wherever they want to. They maximize every platform and tool to harass someone. 

8. In 2017, more than 978 million people in 20 countries were victims of cybercrime.

(Gitnux, Enough is Enough, Guardchild, Emisoft)

Criminals attack all races from different countries. In 2017, there were already 978 million cybercrime victims reported. The reports show it has only less than 30 million and is already nearly 1 billion people. 

Other countries also reported these statistics:

• In 2021, $623.7 million were lost in U.S. ransomware attacks.
• Asian organizations gathered 26% of the cyber attacks worldwide in 2021. They are recorded as the top continent to experience the most attacks that year.

The numbers exhibit that any country has both cybercriminals and cyber victims. These statistics will grow and reach billions of reports without considering cybersecurity measures. As this online dilemma perpetuates, the global cost of online crimes will reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. 

9. Worldwide, 53% of women feel the least safe online than men, with 47% in 2021.

(Malwarebytes)

Being online can risk your data from leaks and will cause an invasion of privacy. According to the data, women feel less secure online than most men worldwide. 

Women are more vulnerable to sexual harassment and crimes than men. Experiences like misogynist remarks, sexism, and other perverted interactions are what women experience online. 

Some of the numbers supporting this statement are:

• There are 9% more women (46%) who hacked accounts than men (37%).
• Only 26% of women feel that their information is private, while there are 32% of men. 
• White females aged 35 to 54 are typically the victims of identity theft. 

Factors such as lack of digital literacy and cyber defense strategies can be why this happens most of the time. Learning these things may reduce the number of data privacy hacks on women and men. 

Internet Safety Trends

Despite these negative numbers from the internet, some people now practice safety measures to keep them safe. Many already know the advantages of other safety tools such as anti-virus, VPNs, firewalls, and password managers. These strategies are helpful for them to avoid data breaches, invasion of privacy, malware, and other cybercrimes.  

This part will give you statistics on internet safety statistics. Below are some related numbers:

10. About 33 million households paid for antivirus software for their technologies in 2023.

(Security.org)

Antivirus is one of the most popular tools to protect your computers or gadgets. This tool can alert them if something suspicious happens on their devices. Due to these features, 33 million households trusted antivirus software for their technologies. 

Other than that, these are also the data that will convince you to install an antivirus to keep you safe online or offline:

• In the US, an estimated 3 in every 4 Americans believe computers should have antivirus.
• About 85% of American adults utilize the benefits of antivirus for their computers. 
• From the reports, antivirus is usually installed on people’s personal computers, with 85% in the results. Mobile phones got 24%, and tablets had 17%. 

Considering the increasing number of cybercrimes, people now think of ways to protect themselves. Aside from installing antivirus, there are various ways to remove a virus from your computer. 

11. 81% of parents in the United Kingdom viewed safety features as functional tools to keep their children safe online. 

(Internet Matters)

Unlike adults, children can’t easily detect whether what they see online may cause harm. This is why children are the most vulnerable victims of cybercrimes – resulting in 81% of parents viewing safety features as functional tools that will keep their kids safe online. 

This percentage stated that parents are now acting to keep their children safer using the internet. If cybercrimes involving children continue, parents worldwide will adopt different preventive measures to protect their kids. 

Parents monitor their kids’ online activities by increasing their cybersecurity, protecting their data, reducing cyberbullying, and preserving their mental health. 

✅ Pro Tip: Protect yourself from different types of malware and security threats that may cause damage to your computer and computer networks. You may do the following: Install an antivirus software Use a firewall Avoid suspicious links Backup your data  Update your software

12. A global survey found that 7 in 10 respondents had taken steps to secure their online identity. 

(Statista)

A survey conducted between November 2022 and January 2023 revealed that respondents took the necessary steps to achieve online identity protection. 

Among the steps taken by respondents include: 

• Enabling multi-factor authentication (30%)
• Changing default settings on their devices (28%)
• Using an identity theft protection service (27%)
• Disabling third-party cookies in a browser (25%)
• Using VPN to encrypt information sent to and from devices (18%)

Many people fear the invasion of privacy to happen to them, especially adults. Data leaks for them mean an attack on their profession, bank accounts, and other essential information. These percentages represent the gradual increase in adults being cautious because of increased cybercrime.

13. In 2021, 1.6 billion Internet users utilized VPNs. 

(Surfshark)

Among the 5.37 billion Internet users, at least 31%, or 1.6 billion, have used VPNs. Among the reasons for its usage include: work, security, gaming, travel, and privacy. 

To give you an overview of VPN usage worldwide, here’s the ranking of countries: 

The data shows that 3 of the biggest markets are in Asia. The factors contributing to the numbers are their high country populations and government censorship in those regions. 

14. In September 2021, a global survey revealed that approximately half of the respondents had used parental-control mobile apps. 

(Statista)

According to the survey, 6 in 10 respondents revealed that they tend to limit the videos their children are allowed to watch, and 52% of them limit the video games they can play. 

45% of parents have also reported checking their children’s digital history data. 

15. 90% of Australians expressed willingness to do more to protect their digital privacy. 

(Statista)

In a survey conducted between November 2022 and January 2023, Australia topped the list of countries in terms of willingness to increase mechanisms in securing digital privacy. New Zealand followed it with 88% and the U.S. with 86%. 

Overall, 83% of respondents worldwide are willing to take more action to protect online privacy. 

Final Thoughts

The statistics on internet safety are both eye-opening and alarming. With the ever-increasing reliance on technology today, taking steps is more crucial than ever. These steps are to protect ourselves from the internet’s dangers. Indeed, the risks are numerous and varied. 

It’s essential to equip yourself with some knowledge of the importance of safe online behavior. That includes being cautious whenever you use it. 

It is up to people to take responsibility for their online safety. Let these statistics guide you to be more informed about internet use. You can also create a safer and more secure online environment by staying active and vigilant.

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By Maxym Chekalov

With a master's degree in telecommunications and over 15 years of working experience in telecommunications, networking, and online security, he deeply understands cybersecurity's value and importance. Max leverages his vast experience and knowledge to research the latest cyber threats, scams, malware, and viruses in-depth.