The ongoing global pandemic has accelerated eCommerce growth by four to six years according to Adobe , pushing more consumers online. And even with physical stores slowly re-opening and more people getting vaccinated, growth is still predicted, albeit at a steadier rate. Following a 25.7% surge during 2020, to $4.213 trillion, eCommerce sales worldwide are expected to climb a further 16.8% this year, to $4.921 trillion. That growth puts an already highly targeted sector by cyber threats at an even greater risk.

Additionally, attacks on eCommerce greatly surpass the general trend line throughout the end of the calendar year. One of the causes for the early peak in attacks during October instead of November is that some of the most sought-after holiday presents were available for online purchase starting in October. The spike around May coincides with an overall increase in global shopping around that time, illustrating that bad actors target key periods when shoppers are most active.