Banks, investment companies, and insurers are prime targets for cybercriminals looking to steal money or information, disrupt operations, destroy critical infrastructure, or otherwise compromise data-rich financial services institutions (FSIs). Indeed, FSIs lead the pack in terms of the average cost of cybercrime incurred by companies in a particular industry, counting both internal activities and external consequences. That figure reached $28.3 million in 2015—which is significantly higher than the six-year average for FSIs of $19.4 million annually.
