Email is still the biggest target
According to the latest FBI Annual report the number one way criminals are breaking in is still via email.
- 15 of the top 26 Cyber Crimes have a common thread of email as a significant method of attack
- Phishing / Spoofing accounted for 23% of total Cyber attacks, more than DOUBLE any other category
The #1 Reported Cyber Crime is Phishing / Spoofing
- Phishing typically involves criminals sending a message, enticing you to click a malicious link and login with your Google, Microsoft, or Bank account, to steal your information, intercept banking transfers or hijack your accounts
- Spoofing describes the impersonation of your email account, trusted contacts or trusted sites via methods such as email forgery, look-alike addresses or pages
Many organizations are doing little to protect themselves
859,532 Cyber Crimes were reported with losses totaling $16.6 Billion, up from $12.5 Billion in the prior year.
- On average there are 2,354 cyber crimes reported per day
256,256 reported cyber crimes incurred tangible losses
- At $16.6 Billion in losses that’s an average of $64,778 per incident
Based on the May 2025 released report, reviewing Cyber Crimes reported to IC3.gov throughout the previous calendar year.
Top 5 Categories - By the numbers
| Crime Type | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Phishing/Spoofing | 193,407 |
| Extortion | 86,415 |
| Personal Data Breach | 64,882 |
| Non-Payment/Non-Delivery | 49,572 |
| Investment | 47,919 |
Other well-known categories
| Crime Type | Complaints |
|---|---|
| [Fake] Tech Support | 36,002 |
| Business Email Compromise | 21,442 |
| Identity Theft | 21,403 |
| Credit Card/Check Fraud | 12,876 |
| [Fake] Real Estate | 9,359 |
| Crimes Against Children | 4,472 |
| Data Breach | 3,204 |
| Ransomware | 3,156* |
| SIM Swap | 982 |
| Botnet | 587 |
| Malware | 441 |
Top 5 Categories - By Financial Loss
| Crime Type | Losses |
|---|---|
| Investment | $6,570,639,864 |
| Business Email Compromise | $2,770,151,146 |
| [Fake] Tech Support | $1,464,755,976 |
| Personal Data Breach | $1,453,296,303 |
| Non-Payment/Non-Delivery | $785,436,888 |
| Crime Type | Losses |
|---|---|
| Data Breach | $364,855,818 |
| Credit Card/Check Fraud | $199,889,841 |
| Identity Theft | $174,354,745 |
| [Fake] Real Estate | $173,586,820 |
| Extortion | $143,185,736 |
| Phishing/Spoofing | $70,013,036 |
| SIM Swap | $25,983,946 |
| Ransomware | $12,473,156* |
| Botnet | $8,860,202 |
| Malware | $1,365,945 |
* Ransomware figure is understood to be artificially low due to various entities not reporting, and does not include estimates of lost business, time, wages, files, equipment, or third-party remediation services. CISA estimates “only about one quarter of ransomware incidents were reported”.
Categories frequently initiated via Email
- Phishing/Spoofing
- Extortion
- Personal Data Breach
- Non-Payment/Non-Delivery
- Investment
- Business Email Compromise
- [Fake] Employment
- Credit Card/Check Fraud
- [Fake] Real Estate
- Advanced Fee
- Lottery/Sweepstakes/Inheritance
- Data Breach
- Ransomware
- Overpayment
- Malware
Where do we go from here?
- Start with real world data and prioritize your risks.
- Good security brings confidence and clarity.
- It keeps your business running fast without unnecessary roadblocks.
For the rest of the story and strategies to defend your business against modern threats, reach out on our contact page. Let’s make a plan to help your business stay above the fray and truly thrive. We’ll meet you where you are and help you budget for a solution that meets your needs.