A new report reveals that numerous breaches have occurred in personal online accounts, particularly in email accounts, between 2004 and 2024.
- Between 2004 and 2024, numerous breaches occurred in personal online accounts, particularly in email accounts
- In 2024 alone, over five billion accounts were compromised, a sharp rise from 730 million in 2023
- South Sudan has the highest number of online account breaches in Africa, with 92.8 million violations over the past 20 years
A breach occurs when an email account is accessed without the owner’s permission, which can happen due to reasons such as weak passwords, falling for phishing scams, or unknowingly installing malware on a device.
The effects of email security breaches which include data theft and loss, can be severe and far-reaching. This can result in financial loss, reputational damage, and legal and regulatory issues.
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Surfshark, a private network firm reports that 22.9 billion online accounts have been compromised since 2004, with approximately 8.3 billion linked to unique email addresses.
This means that, on a global scale, a single email address is compromised around three times on average.
Breached e-mail accounts
In 2024 alone, over five billion accounts were compromised, a sharp rise from 730 million in 2023, according to the report. This equates to nearly 180 breaches per second.
The report revealed that on the global scale, 790 million of the affected accounts were Russian, 310 million American, 160 million Chinese, 110 million German, and 100 million French.
In Africa, South Sudan ranks highest for online account breaches, with 92.8 million violations over the past 20 years, placing 24th globally.
South Africa follows in second with 42.2 million breaches and ranks 38th globally.
Other affected countries include Egypt (25.9 million), ranked 49th; Nigeria (23.1 million), ranked 54th; Morocco (18.7 million), ranked 60th; and Algeria (11.6 million), ranked 67th.
“Most people use the same email for different accounts when registering online. That’s why a single email or account can be breached several times in separate cases, and some numbers may seem so high, like 22.9 billion total breached accounts,” the report noted.
The report further noted that globally, “for every 100 people, 104 unique email addresses are compromised,” and “on average, 285 accounts are affected per 100 people.”
This concerning trend underscores the escalating scale of cyberattacks and the increasing vulnerability of online accounts.
The table below shows the African countries with the highest recorded online breaches during the period:
| Rank | Global rank | Country | Breached accounts (2004 – present) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | South Sudan | 92,830,663 |
| 2 | 38 | South Africa | 42,237,757 |
| 3 | 49 | Egypt | 25,857,054 |
| 4 | 54 | Nigeria | 23,112,239 |
| 5 | 60 | Morocco | 18,736,823 |
| 6 | 67 | Algeria | 11,561,912 |
| 7 | 78 | Kenya | 7,784,444 |
| 8 | 83 | Tunisia | 6,612,048 |
| 9 | 87 | Ivory Coast | 5,906,695 |
| 10 | 93 | Ghana | 5,195,238 |
