MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Retailers were responsible for nearly 60% of all personal data that was compromised during 2014, according to a new report.
Symantec’s 2015 Internet Security Threat Report found that retailers were responsible for that figure, even though they only represented 11% of all breaches recorded.
Among the other findings:
- Approximately 60% of the targeted organizations in 2014 were either small- or medium-sized.
- The percentage of breaches in which financial information was compromised doubled to 36% from 18% in 2013.
- Symantec said it counted 23% more breaches in 2014.
- Spear-phishing climbed 8%, while the cybercriminals behind such attacks became more efficient. Criminals sent 14% fewer e-mails to 20% fewer targets, while their success improved, Symantec said.
- There were more than 317 million new pieces of malware created last year, or nearly 1 million per day.
- Digital extortion, or ransomware, attacks jumped 113% in 2014, including a 4,000% increase in crypto-ransomware attacks where cybercriminals freeze a victim's files or systems until they receive a payment.