Cyber-crime increasingly coming with threats of physical violence

Cyber-attacks in the U.S. reached a record 1,008,597 in 2025, with a rising number now involving threats of physical violence against victims, according to FBI data [1]. The financial loss from these attacks totaled $20.8bn last year, up from $16.6bn in 2024 [1]. Separate research found 40% of global ransomware attacks in 2025 involved threats to physically harm staff who refused to pay, a figure that rose to 46% for U.S. companies [1]. "It's always been here in the background, but it's becoming more of a reality, slowly inching its way up," said Tim Beasley of security firm Semperis [1]. Hackers access personal data like home addresses to intimidate victims, as seen in a hospital case where staff were called with their personal details [1]. While some threats come from state-sponsored groups, most physical intimidation originates from financially motivated hackers, often aged 17 to 25, who may pay others to carry out violence [1]. In Europe, including the UK, there were more than 18 cases of cybercrime involving physical attacks last year [1]. The FBI has warned of increased risk from networks like "In Real Life Com," which offer "violence-as-a-service" [1]. Cryptocurrency investors are particularly vulnerable due to online boasting about wealth, with incidents including kidnappings [1].