Title: Why developed
countries are more vulnerable to cybercrime
Author: Lance Whitney
Date: 27.05.2020
Abstract:
Any person, organization, or country can be a victim of
cybercrime, but some people and places are more susceptible than others.
Released on Wednesday, NordVPN's Cyber
Risk Index explains why certain countries and
regions are higher-risk targets for cybercriminals.
Looking at 50 different countries across the world,
NordVPN found that people in developed nations are more likely to become
victims of cybercrime. In its research, the company cited four reasons
why:
- Higher-income economies
- More advanced technological infrastructure
- Greater urbanization
- Greater digitalization
Plus, greater mobility combined with a higher overall
crime rate increases the cyber risk.
However, the report also ranked countries on specific
factors, such as urban population, average wage, internet penetration,
smartphone penetration, public Wi-Fi availability, Facebook penetration, and
Instagram penetration.
Among the countries at the greatest risk, Iceland was at
the top, followed by Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, and the United
States. Sweden took top place because it was highest among all analyzed
countries in internet, smartphone, and Instagram penetration. It also came in second
on Facebook penetration, third in urban population, and second in highest
average month wage.
"Cybercriminals don't look for victims, they look
for opportunities--much like pickpockets in crowded places," Daniel
Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN, said in a press release.
"Spend enough time in a packed bus, and a pickpocket will 'accidentally'
bump into you. Same story online. Your cyber risk increases with every extra
hour online."
Comparing two countries, namely the United States and the
United Kingdom, found that both were in the top ten for cyber risk. But the US
was fifth, while the UK was tenth. Both nations share certain risk factors,
such as urbanization level, percentage of people using Facebook or Instagram,
and crime index. But, the US is at a greater risk for cybercrime due to a
higher monthly average wage, higher density of public Wi-Fi, and greater use of
smartphones.
Looking at the data by continent, Northern Europe was
ranked as the most dangerous region for cybercrime, with North America a close
second. In both regions, more than 9 out of 10 people use the internet, 8 out
of 10 shop online, and 7 out of 10 use Facebook--all factors that lead to
higher exposure to cyberthreats.
Among the countries at the lowest risk, India was
considered the safest, followed by Nigeria, Iraq, Indonesia, and South Africa.
India grabbed its spot because only one in three people there use the internet,
fewer than one in four use smartphones, only around 6% use Instagram, and only
34% of the population live in urban areas.
NordVPN developed its Cyber Risk Index with business data
provider Statista in three separate stages. First, Statista collected
socio-economic, digital, cyber, and crime data from 50 selected countries.
Second, NordVPN analyzed the data's positive and negative
impact on cyber risk and calculated the correlation between the first three data
sets (socio-economic, digital, cyber) and the fourth (crime).
Third, NordVPN trimmed the data down to the 14 most
significant factors, specifically urban population, monthly average wage,
tourism, internet penetration, smartphone penetration, time spent on the
internet, e-commerce penetration, online games penetration, video-on-demand
penetration, public Wi-Fi availability, Facebook penetration, Instagram
penetration, crime index, and global cybersecurity index. The company used
those factors to create the index and then ranked the 50 countries according to
their cyber risk.
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/why-developed-countries-are-more-vulnerable-to-cybercrime/