In 2017, data theft reached new heights thanks to high-profile attacks such as the breach at Equifax Inc. that compromised over 140 million consumers. A new report from ThreatMetrix Inc. claims that hackers have stepped up their efforts on other fronts, too.

The cybersecurity provider, which helps brands such as Netflix Inc. detect fraudulent activity on their platforms, examined data from some 700 million blocked attacks for the study. ThreatMetrix identified no fewer than 83 million illicit registration attempts from 2015 to 2017 across the several thousand services that it protects. Based on the company’s analysis, one in nine online accounts are opened fraudulently.

Companies also have reason for concern when it comes to legitimate users. ThreatMetrix said 2017 saw a major uptick in account takeovers, which now occur every 10 seconds on average.

The trend may be fueled by the large amount of information that was leaked via data breaches in the past few quarters. Network protection specialist Gemalto NV, which was recently acquired by Thales SA for $5.6 billion, estimated that 1.9 billion records were stolen during the first half of 2017 alone. Hackers can exploit such data to get through security questions and compromise consumers who use the same login details across multiple services.

Another area where ThreatMetrix recorded an alarming jump in malicious activity is financial fraud. In the study, the company detailed that attempts to carry out fraudulent payments than doubled over the past two years. This increase is likely tied to the rising frequency of data breaches as well given how stolen credit card numbers are often used in such transactions. 

Not too surprisingly, ThreatMetrix’s study found that the United States is the “primary” attack destination for hackers from all corners of the world. But on the plus side, organizations are investing heavily to beef up their defenses, both in the U.S. and beyond. Gartner Inc. forecasts that cybersecurity spending will rise to $93 billion this year from $86.4 million during 2017, the latter figure itself representing a 7 percent increase over the previous year.

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