13 Oct Cybercrime Is The Greatest Transfer Of Economic Wealth In History
This week in cybersecurity from the editors at Cybercrime Magazine
Sausalito, Calif. – Oct. 13, 2025
– Read the full story from Techloy
With ransomware attacks, phishing, financial fraud, and other forms of cyberwarfare on the rise globally, the true cost of cyberattacks in 2025 can no longer just be calculated in direct theft but also in the ripple effects. It is measured in shuttered businesses, paralyzed operations, regulatory fines, disrupted supply chains, and reputational damage that takes years to rebuild. And the fallout is shaking entire industries.
To grasp the scale, Cybersecurity Ventures projects that global cybercrime damages will reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. To put it in perspective, if cybercrime were measured as a nation, it would stand as the world’s third-largest economy, behind only the United States and China. That makes it larger than the economies of Japan, Germany, or India.
Not everyone agrees with the headline figure. Some analysts argue that the true tally may be closer to $1.5 trillion annually when the scope is narrowed to more direct costs, which is still catastrophic in its own right. However, whether the number stands at $1 trillion or $10 trillion, we’re seeing that cybercrime has evolved into a global economic crisis, larger than most nations’ GDPs.
It has become what Cybersecurity Ventures describes as the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history, a phenomenon that already eclipses the annual toll of natural disasters and outpaces the profits of the global drug trade combined.
Cybercrime Magazine is Page ONE for Cybersecurity. Go to any of our sections to read the latest:
- SCAM. The latest schemes, frauds, and social engineering attacks being launched on consumers globally.
- NEWS. Breaking coverage on cyberattacks and data breaches, and the most recent privacy and security stories.
- HACK. Another organization gets hacked every day. We tell you who, what, where, when, and why.
- VC. Cybersecurity venture capital deal flow with the latest investment activity from various sources around the world.
- M&A. Cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions including big tech, pure cyber, product vendors and professional services.
- BLOG. What’s happening at Cybercrime Magazine. Plus the stories that don’t make headlines (but maybe they should).
- PRESS. Cybersecurity industry news and press releases in real time from the editors at Business Wire.
- PODCAST. New episodes daily on the Cybercrime Magazine Podcast feature victims, law enforcement, vendors, and cybersecurity experts.
- RADIO. Tune into WCYB Digital Radio at Cybercrime.Radio, the first and only round-the-clock internet radio station devoted to cybersecurity.
Contact us to send story tips, feedback and suggestions, and for sponsorship opportunities and custom media productions.
