Companies seeing rise in cybercrime

YARMOUTH, Maine—With so many companies working from home, combined with hosting more online and virtual events and meetings, malicious cyber activity has been increasing as cyber criminals take advantage of so many people letting their guard down during this time. This month's News Poll looked to gauge what SSN readers are experiencing, and many confirmed what the latest research is showing.

In fact, over the past 12 months, cyberattacks on U.S. companies shot up by 93 percent, according to an Atlas VPN investigation, a number that many experts agree will continue to climb as cyber criminals prey on those working at home and using a multitude of networks and devices that a hacker can gain access to or through.

When asked the million-dollar question — have you seen an increase in malicious cyber activity? — a whopping 92 percent saw an increase in activity with 67 percent saying “yes” and 25 percent saying “some” and only 8 percent saying no.

Looking at prevention and education, 69 percent of respondents said they have increased cyber-awareness training with so many working from home, with 23 percent saying they have not increased training and 8 percent saying they are considering it.

Interestingly, when asked how prepared companies feel for a major cyber breach, 67 percent said they have a plan in place, while 25 percent feel they are not prepared, and 8 percent said they were unsure.

Looking at the rise in cybercrime, the VPN study reveals a real need for cybersecurity services right now, which is good news for cybersecurity providers, or integrators who offer cybersecurity services.

For example, some business sectors were targeted more than the others, such as the financial services sector, which saw the highest average rise in cyberattacks experienced at 56 percent — 11 percent above the norm. What is more, 43 percent of the companies in this sector reported a more than 50 percent increase in the volume of the attacks.

The financial sector is closely followed by the healthcare sector, which saw an average increase of 49 percent in cyberattacks. Nearly half of the respondents within the industry reported upward jumps in attack volume between 26-50 percent.