What industries are most targeted by cyber-attacks?

5th August 2025

Although anyone can become a victim of cyber-crime, there are certain professions that come under threat more often – is your workplace at high risk?

As we’re so fond of repeating, cyber attacks can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO of a large company, or if you’re working an entry level job – or even if you don’t work at all! If you have an electronic device that can be connected to, bad actors can target you.

However, workplaces tend to be bigger targets as organisations hold more wealth and sensitive information than most individuals do. With that being said, here are the top 5 industries that cyber criminals focus their attack efforts on:

5. Government and Public Sector

Since government organisations hold a lot of important and private data, they are enticing targets for bad actors. Items including military communications could pose a real threat to citizens if they were to be leaked, with many of these attacks designed to encourage political instability and disruption. Whether enacted by a foreign government or a cyber threat group with a political agenda, those in the public sector needs to ensure their data is kept secure.

4. Healthcare

Like the public sector, healthcare organisations hold a lot of personal data that they need to keep private – if released, it could lead to significant patient safety risks. Unlike the public sector though, healthcare providers lack the same quality of cyber security, making attacks more probable. If you’re a healthcare professional, remember that it isn’t just biological viruses, but digital ones that you need to be aware of!

3. Professional, business and consumer services

Each of these categories is, in a sense, one party providing something to another, and it is in these interactions and chains that weaknesses in security can be exploited. Even if your security is robust, if the business you are interacting with is compromised, you could be too. Additionally, a lot of these are smaller enterprises, lacking the time or budget needed to defend themselves properly.

2. Finance and insurance

Money: that is the biggest motivator behind cyber-attacks. Ransomware is designed to extort companies out of payment, and these companies have the funds to pay it. They also want to protect their reputations, as customers are unlikely to partner with them if they don’t feel their assets are secure. While you might have expected finance to be our top pick, it is slightly less targeted than one other industry.

1. Manufacturing

It may seem strange considering that all these other industries appear to be more attractive targets, but no industry is victim to cyber crime more than manufacturing. Often manufacturing companies rely on outdated or poorly secured systems, making them easy prey for bad actors. The impact can be devastating, as attacks can lead to production downtime, which results in a loss of income, as well as client and investor trust.

We always say that anyone can be targeted by cyber criminals, but if you’re in one of these industries it is worth taking extra precautions to protect your private information. If you’d like any advice on how to do that, talk to Interfuture Security.

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