Annual U.S. Cyber Crime Costs Estimated at $100 Billion
The cost of cyber espionage and cyber crime to the U.S. may reach $100 billion each year, according to a study to be released Monday, casting doubt on earlier estimates that the costs were as much as 10 times higher.
The latest estimate is backed up by some U.S. intelligence analysts, who also believe the figure is closer to $100 billion, according to a former U.S. official familiar with the intelligence discussions. That figure is 1 percent or less of the U.S. gross domestic product and, for companies, puts cyber theft losses in a category of costs incurred in the course of doing business.