New research from Surfshark, one of the best VPN providers, shows Americans lost billions of dollars to cybercrime in 2023. Alaska leads the way with over 500 complaints per 100,000 internet users, nearly double that of the next highest state.
In 2023, the FBI documented a record 880,418 cybercrime complaints, with potential losses equating to over $12 billion. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), billions of dollars were lost to cybercrime in the US, with Alaska alone accounting for $32 million. This is an average of over $13,000 per complaint. Compared to 2022, the average loss in Alaska has increased by approximately 24%, and the overall financial loss has nearly doubled.
Extortion (40 per 100,000 users), personal data breaches (36 per 100,000 users), and non-payment/non-delivery incidents (29 per 100,000 users) were the top three cybercrimes experienced by Alaskans. However, these do not account for the highest losses. Business Email Compromise (BEC) was the most costly overall, averaging over $180,000 of financial loss per victim.
Alaskans aged 30-39 accounted for 47% of all cybercrime victims, but individuals over 60 experienced the highest average loss – over $29,000 per victim. The over 60s represent 21% of the Alaskan population and BEC was the most costly cybercrime in this age group. Victims' financial loss from BEC was nearly $400,000, more than double the state average BEC loss.
This data shows the dangers posed by cybercrime and its disastrous consequences. However, there are a number of steps you can take in order to protect yourself and your business from falling victim to cybercrime.
Simple first steps to protect yourself against cybercrime
To many, the internet and the risk of cybercrime can cause worry, but while there are threats out there, there are a number of ways you can stay safe. Simple first steps include actions such as using strong and unique passwords and setting up 2-factor authentication (2FA).
Using the same password for multiple accounts is not recommended, and passwords should not be weak and easy to guess. The easiest way to keep to this habit is to use one of the best password managers, and some other privacy products, like VPNs and antivirus software, come bundled with a password manager. 2FA adds a second later of security to your accounts. When logging in, you will be asked to verify it's you by receiving a pin or code on a separate device, often a phone. This can alert you to hackers trying to access your accounts.
Phishing scams are one of the most common forms of cybercrime. They come in a variety of forms, but imitating a text or email from your bank, or social media company, informing you of an issue with your account is amongst the most well known. Always look for obvious signs such as broken English, typos or suspicious URLs. If in doubt, always check with your account provider - especially when it comes to your financial information. Banks will never contact you in this way if there is an issue with your account. The short answer is don't give away any personal information online unless you are absolutely certain it's for a legitimate purpose.
Can VPNs help?
A VPN is a great first step towards protecting yourself from cybercrime, with the most secure VPNs offering a number of cybercrime prevention tools. All our recommended VPNs offer high levels of data encryption meaning you can hide your internet activity and IP address from potential hackers. Some offer extra features, such as Surfshark's Alternative ID and Alternative Number, for example. these provide you with proxy numbers and addresses you can use when asked for your personal information and if you begin to receive spam or experience suspicious activity on these, you can delete them to protect yourself from being compromised.
Malware and phishing protection are offered with some VPNs, with NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro performing very well in our testing. It blocked 87% of phishing sites, and 79% of malware sites. Of our other recommended VPNs, Surfshark and Proton VPN also offer phishing and malware protection, although these did not perform as well as Nord's offering. It is worth noting that VPNs cannot protect you if you consent to data collection or give out any personal information, which is why it is important you stay vigilant when it comes to cybercrime.
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