I have aggregated the statistics created from the cyber attacks timelines published in Q4 2021, derived from 620 events (6.45 events per day), a noticeable increase from the 620 events (6.45 events per day), collected and analyzed in Q3.
Unsurprisingly cyber crime continues to lead the Motivations chart with 80.6%, a value very close to 81.7% of the previous quarter. Malware continues to lead the Attack Techniques chart with 39.7%, very close to 40.7% of the previous quarter, and continuing its slightly decreasing trend (but again you need to consider the fact that too many ransomware attacks appear as “Unknown” since the targeted entities just mention generic disruptions.) Multiple industries lead the Target Distribution chart with 27.6%, up from 21,7%.
The statistics are also available as an infographic.
As always bear in mind that the sample refers exclusively to the attacks included in my timelines, available from public sources such as blogs and news sites. Obviously the sample cannot be complete, but only aims to provide an high level overview of the threat landscape.
Finally, please support my work, sharing the content, and of course follow @paulsparrows on Twitter for the latest updates.
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Q1 2021 Cyber Attack Statistics
I have aggregated the statistics created from the cyber attacks timelines published so far in 2021. Cyber crime leads the Motivations chart with…

Q2 2021 Cyber Attack Statistics
I have aggregated the statistics created from the cyber attacks timelines published in the second quarter of 2021…

Q3 2021 Cyber Attacks Statistics
Similarly to the previous quarters, I have aggregated the statistics created from the cyber attacks timelines…
October 2026 Cyber Attacks TimelineA live view of the month's vetted cyber incidents, updated as new events are confirmed. Explore the timeline, filter by attack type, and see motivations, techniques, initial access methods, targeted sectors and target countries on an interactive map.
Q3 2026 Cyber Attacks StatisticsIn the third quarter of 2026, I recorded 588 cyber incidents. Cyber Crime accounted for 77.1% of motivations, Malware was the most common attack technique at 31.9%, and Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190) led initial access at 30.4%. Information and Communication was the hardest-hit sector.
Mega Breaches in 2026Here’s a collection of the main mega breaches (that is data breaches with more than one million records compromised and possibly leaked) during 2026. The information is derived from the cyber attacks timelines that I published, normally, on a bi-weekly basis.
Q3 2026 Cyber Attacks Statistics InfographicNinety-two days, 588 incidents, one attack roughly every four hours. This infographic distils the Q3 2026 cyber attacks statistics into the numbers that matter: motivations, top techniques, initial access, targeted sectors and geography.
September 2026 Cyber Attacks StatisticsSeptember 2026 recorded 182 cyber incidents, and Cyber Crime drove roughly three in four of them (73.9%). Malware was the top attack vector at 27.8%, exploitation of public-facing applications led initial access at 28.9%, and Information & Communication was the most targeted sector. Explore the ...
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