Many organizations are indeed under the impression that they will not get attacked by hackers. This is as unfortunate as it is false. Thinking that one won’t get hacked is the biggest security mistake of all time. Data is very valuable, if not for you, then maybe for someone else. The dark web is sprawling with leaked databases and stolen user credentials that sell like hotcakes every day. Below is a list of the major industries that get attacked the most by criminal hackers. If you belong to any of these mentioned industries, then this article is for you. Additionally, this article also serves as a good source of knowledge about which industries will hire you the most if you are doing an ethical hacking course.
Government
Government organizations are always the target of hackers. This is not the century where wars between nations are only fought with guns and bombs. Cyberwarfare is a new way of attacking a nation’s resources. In recent years, we have seen many attempts made by hackers on power plants, space agencies, military organizations, and other government agencies of various countries.
Banks
Banks and financial institutions are, without a doubt, highly susceptible to cyber-attacks. Any organization that has resources worth stealing remains at a high target of thieves. With the digital revolution, banks have become more alert about cyber thefts and financial frauds. Financial motivation is one of the top factors behind a cyber attack. Hence, every financial institution is at significant hacking risk.
Individuals
This is the most strange category in this topic. Yes, it is not an industry but it is worth a mention. Millions of people carelessly browse the internet and upload highly sensitive information online without following enough security measures because according to them a hacker would not be interested in attacking them. They could not be further from the truth. Everyone has data that is valuable to somebody. Hackers attack common people to sell their stolen data and credentials on dark web portals, or to use their devices to gain entry into their employer’s organization. Additionally, hackers also target individuals to use their computers for crypto mining.
Healthcare
Most of the highest victims of ransomware belong to the healthcare industry. Modern health care relies heavily on digital systems and cannot function without them. Any sort of interruption could be fatal to people’s lives. Studies have highlighted that hackers have time and again stolen millions of people’s health care records by way of cyber crime.
Industrial Control Systems
This may seem strange but industrial control systems are frequently attacked by hackers because of many reasons. This includes attacks on an organization’s cooling system, production systems and anything else that disrupts the functioning of the target. Hackers are not always motivated by financial gains, sometimes they act out of competition and rivalry as well. Disrupting someone’s production by attacking its systems is a very common way of gaining a competitive advantage over them.
Construction
Another industry that is subjected to cyber attacks, especially phishing, is the construction industry. As stated earlier, hackers can act out of rivalry and competition as well. Data with construction companies can be in the form of blueprints, plans, tenders, agreements and more. Anyone who can gain some sort of malicious advantage out of stealing this data has more than enough motivation to hack a construction company.
Apart from these, insurance, Information technology and telecom are also heavily attacked by cyber criminals. IT companies are also one of the biggest recruiters of cyber security specialists like CEH experts, network defenders and more. In conclusion, we can say that even though all industries and individuals remain at the target of cyber crime, some are always more victimized than others.