RSA, a division of EMC, publishes a monthly report details statistics related to online fraud. The January 2013 report, The Year In Phishing, includes summary data on phishing attacks for 2012. The RSA phishing report for 2012 findings demonstrate that phishing and other social engineering tactics remain a significant concern for business and security professionals. Some of the key findings include the following.

  • Global losses from phishing estimated at $1.5 billion in 2012, an increase of 22% from 2011.
  • The most attacked countries included the UK, US Canada, Brazil, and South Africa.
  • The number of phishing attacks in Canada rose 400% in first half of 2012.
  • The volume of attacks in December 2012 was 40% higher than in 2011.
  • The total number of attacks for a single month was 52% higher 2012 than in 2011.
  • U.S. Banks continue to be highly targeted – 79% of total attacks in December 2012.
  • The U.S. was targeted by the majority of phishing volume – 46% in December 2012.
  • As of December 2012, the U.S. remained the top hosting country for phishers at 53%.