What are the Top Targeted Industries for Cyber-Attacks?

For cybercriminals, financial, health, intellectual and government data are the key target areas for their attacks and are most likely to be stolen. This determines which industries are most likely to be vulnerable to cyber-attacks.  

Healthcare organisations are often targeted by cybercriminals due to their large amounts of sensitive patient data. Hackers will access this data in several different ways, including malware, phishing emails and unsecured internet networks. The data healthcare organisations hold encompasses a significant amount of the population, and can be used to commit identity theft, fraud, or be sold on the black market.

Financial institutions such as banks and investment firms are key targets for cybercrime. Due to the nature of the industry, financial service organisations hold a significant amount of sensitive data such as credit card numbers, bank account details and other personal information.

While many financial institutions have robust security measures in place to avoid cyber-attacks, there are skilled hackers who can access vulnerabilities within the organisation.

Retail businesses hold a large amount of customer data, including financial information and contact details, making them another prime target for cybercriminals. Many hackers will use the information obtained to commit fraud or identity theft.

Retailers often rely on third-party organisations to provide security services. In 2020, 83% of the biggest e-commerce retailers in the USA used third-party services that had at least one critical cybersecurity vulnerability.

Education institutions are targeted by cybercriminals for a number of reasons, including valuable intellectual property, student and employee personal details and even computer processing power.

Many high-profile educational establishments have been the target of significant and sometimes damaging cyberattacks over the years, and with a large turnover rate in their population, poor password protection and susceptibility to social engineering, attacks are common within this industry.

Often, security systems within the energy and utilities sectors are outdated and not well-protected. This commonly makes them a keen target, which can have devastating consequences. Though highly regulated and subject to strict compliance laws, the industry is in particular danger of hacktivism and cyberterrorism attacks. Hackers can cause widespread power outages, undermine critical defence infrastructure and risk the health and safety of the general public.

Government organisations are one of the top targets for cybercriminals. They hold a large amount of very sensitive data, from public records and financial details to classified documents. Hackers seek to use this data to commit fraud, blackmail or even espionage.

One industry of particular concern when it comes to cyber-attacks is manufacturing. Cybercriminals have the ability to target and damage products or machines within manufacturing businesses which leads to injuries, significant monetary losses and even loss of life.

When targeting manufacturing businesses, hackers are often looking to steal intellectual property such as blueprints or product designs.