These states saw the most hacks in 2020

In recent months, a string of high-profile cyberattacks has reverberated across critical aspects of the U.S. infrastructure ranging from petroleum and meat production to local water supplies, bringing network security front and center for companies and households alike. In June, automated marketing company, Get Response, released a report outlining state-by-state online hacking statistics for 2020.

“During a year loaded with anxiety, unemployment, and severance from loved ones, Americans looked to the Internet as a lifeline to the wider world. But cyberattacks in 2020 were as widespread and far-reaching as the effects of Covid-19—no state was safe,” reads a portion of the release written by GetResponse U.S. SEO Manager Robert Bernal.

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“State of Online Hacking in America”

Overall, Get Response’s “State of Online Hacking in America” roundup is based on FBI hacking data. One of the company’s infographics parses out state-by-state hacking data by the number of victims for every 100,000 residents. 

Based on these parameters, Nevada topped the roundup by a significant margin with 523 hacking victims per 100,000 residents. For perspective, the District of Columbia claimed the second-highest ratio with 302 attack victims per 100,000 residents, just ahead of Iowa (297), Alaska (283) and Florida (250). In order, Maryland (245) and Delaware (229) round out the top five.

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On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mississippi and South Dakota registered the lowest ratio of attacks per 100,000 residents with 83 and 88, respectively. In order, North Dakota (100), West Virginia (106) and Louisiana (109) round out the top five states with the lowest number of hacking attacks per 100,000 residents.

Hacking and financial loses

A portion of the report parses out data based on the total financial losses per 100,000 residents to add a monetary aspect to the cybersecurity rankings. Overall, North Dakota topped the financial-focused list with $3,386,200 in total victim losses per 100,000 residents followed by the District of Columbia ($2,684,059) and New York ($2,137,464).

“Cyberattacks, particularly those focused on business sectors like banks and hospitals, can lead to more than data disclosure and reputation damage; the financial impact of breaches and subsequent losses can be significant,” Bernal said in the release.

In order, Missouri and Colorado round out the top five with $1,888,635 and $1,748,021 in terms of financial losses per 100,000 residents, respectively.

“North Dakotans, with 100 victims per 100K residents, lost almost $3.5 million to hacking, and New Yorkers, with 177 victims per capita, lost just over $2 million—both ranked relatively low for victim rates,” Bernal said in the release.

“Conversely, D.C. residents experienced higher rates of hacking and lost almost $2.7 billion to cyberattacks in 2020. But South Dakotans, with lower rates of per capita victims, also lost significantly less than most other states, with $362,653 lost to cyberattacks,” Bernal continued.

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