FBI data reveals that these are the top 10 most hacked States in America
(The AEGIS Alliance) – Each year, the FBI publishes a report on the current state of cybercrime in the United States, utilizing statistics obtained from the preceding year. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), an organization responsible for collecting data, compiles state-specific information on the location of hacking incidents, the number of individuals victimized, and the financial losses incurred. As the FBI prepares to release its latest report, which will contain data pertaining to 2022’s hacking episodes, we take a moment to briefly review previous reports to identify the states most affected by cybercrime. Upon examining IC3’s reports for both 2020 and 2021, it becomes clear that there are several states experiencing significant challenges in the area of information security. To discover which states are struggling the most, continue reading.
1. California
As per IC3’s reports for the years 2020 and 2021, California is among the states most frequently targeted by cybercriminals in the United States. This is not surprising given that California is the most populous state in the country and is also home to Silicon Valley, a hub for technology companies. In 2020, a total of 69,541 Californians reported falling victim to cybercrime, resulting in losses amounting to $621,452,320. The number of victims decreased slightly in 2021 to 67,095, but the total losses increased significantly to $1,227,989,139.
2. New York
New York, commonly referred to as the “Big Apple,” is another prime target for cybercrime. According to the IC3 reports for the years 2020 and 2021, a substantial number of New Yorkers have reported falling prey to cybercriminals. In 2020, 34,505 individuals reported being victims of cybercrime, resulting in losses of approximately $415,812,917. While the number of reported victims decreased in 2021 to 29,065, the total losses skyrocketed to $559,965,598.
3. Washington
According to the FBI’s reports, Washington state was also significantly affected by cybercrime in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, a total of 17,229 cybercrime incidents were reported in the state, resulting in losses of $88,020,254. The following year, the number of reported incidents decreased to 13,903, but the total financial losses surged to $157,454,331.
4. Colorado
The state of Colorado also faced a considerable number of cyber incidents, as reported by the FBI in the years 2020 and 2021. In 2020, a total of 12,325 cyber incidents were reported in Colorado, resulting in losses of $100,663,897. While the number of reported incidents decreased in 2021 to 10,537, the financial losses escalated to $130,631,286, as was the case in many other states.
5. Texas
Texas, also known as the Lone Star State, is another state that has faced significant cybercrime issues, as per the IC3 reports of 2020 and 2021. In 2020, a total of 38,640 individuals from Texas reported falling victim to cybercrime, resulting in losses of $313,565,225. The following year, the number of reported victims increased to 41,148, and the reported losses virtually doubled, reaching an enormous amount of $606,179,646.
6. Florida
Florida, known for being a popular destination for tourists and retirees, unfortunately, also seems to attract a considerable amount of cybercrime. The IC3 reports from 2020 and 2021 show that 53,793 Floridians reported being victimized by cybercrime in 2020, resulting in reported losses of $295,032,829. In 2021, the number of reported victims decreased to 45,855, but the total reported losses rose significantly, reaching $528,573,929.
7. Ohio
Ohio has not been immune to cybercrime, with the IC3 reporting 13,421 cases in 2020 and losses amounting to $170,171,951. The following year, the number of cases increased to 17,510, but there was a welcome surprise: losses dropped to $133,666,156.
8. Illinois
Illinois had reported 20,185 incidents of cybercrime in 2020, causing a loss of $150,496,678. The following year, although the number of victims dropped to 17,999, the losses increased slightly, reaching $184,860,704.
9. Pennsylvania
During 2020, hackers targeted Pennsylvania and caused 18,636 residents to report being victimized, leading to a total financial loss of $108,506,204. However, the next year saw a decline in the number of victims to 17,262, but the losses increased to $206,982,032, which is almost twice the previous year.
10. Nevada
Nevada experienced a rise in cybercrime incidents from 2020 to 2021. In 2020, the state reported 16,110 cases to the FBI, resulting in reported financial losses of $44,383,452. However, in 2021, the number of reported victims increased to 17,706, with losses almost doubling to $83,712,410.
Jeffrey Childers – The AEGIS Alliance – This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
