By some estimates, the number of worldwide social media users reached 4.2 billion in early 2021, and this number continues to grow. Additionally, 91.9% of U.S. marketers in companies larger than 100 employees use social media for marketing purposes. That’s a lot of companies connecting with a lot of people, making social media the largest pool of potential victims at scammers’ fingertips. And that leaves most American businesses open to phishing scams from bad actors.
Indeed, social media threats are on the rise. In January 2021, the average targeted organization experienced nearly 34 attacks through social media. As the year progressed, this number significantly increased. By September, the average targeted organization encountered 61 attacks per month, which is an 82% increase in three quarters.