Serious cyberattacks in Europe doubled in the past year, new figures reveal, as criminals exploited the pandemic

Significant cyberattacks attacks against critical targets in Europe have doubled in the past year, according to new EU figures obtained by CNN, as the pandemic pushed lives indoors and online.

The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, ENISA, told CNN there were 304 significant, malicious attacks against "critical sectors" in 2020, more than double the 146 recorded the year before. The agency also reported a 47% rise in attacks on hospitals and health care networks in the same period, as the same criminal networks sought to cash in on the pandemic's most vital services.