The Web3 space has evolved during the last few years but is still facing security issues. In the third quarter of 2024, hackers’ attacks on cryptocurrencies cost more than $753 million. However, even with overall upbeat trends ranging from the approval of Spot Ethereum ETFs to growing institutional adoption, cyberattacks present a significant problem.Â
Phishing was identified as the most common vulnerability type, and hacks targeted DeFi platforms and centralized exchanges with vulnerabilities in several domains. The stats were disclosed in a report by Skynet by CertiK, known for delivering Web3’s most comprehensive security scores.
Massive Losses from Phishing Incidents in Crypto Space
Phishing attacks were most prominent in Q3, when the attackers stole $343 million through 65 cases. This quarter brought a 9.5% rise in the attribute of worth lost to cybercrime, even though the cases were reduced from the previous quarter. As the threat actors are more creative, crypto users, especially in decentralized systems, are much more at risk now.
Ethereum ($ETH) Remains the Most Targeted Network
Ethereum ($ETH) remains a primary target for hackers, suffering $387 million in thefts across 86 incidents in Q3 2024. This is significantly higher than the losses reported on Bitcoin, which ranked second. Additionally, $89 million was stolen from cross-chain attacks, reflecting ongoing vulnerabilities in multichain ecosystems. These figures underscore the need for more robust security measures across blockchain networks.
Private key compromises and code vulnerabilities also contributed to the quarter’s overall losses. The problem of reentrancy attacks, which reflects vulnerabilities in smart contract code, remains a significant danger to the development of DeFi. Hackers are improving their skills thus demanding user awareness as well as improvement on security measures to counter these threats.
