Cybersecurity is the protecting of computers, servers, networks, mobile devices, and the data stored in these devices from criminals looking to use this data for their own personal gain. With the huge amount of personal and business information that is now flowing across the internet due to the wider access it now provides, it opens more avenues for cyber attackers to get access to our data and use it for malicious intents. According to the Global Cybercrime Report produced by SEON, the top 5 countries that suffer from cyber-attacks are Myanmar, Cambodia, Honduras, Bolivia, and Mongolia. Myanmar being the worst, as it itself has a cyber-safety score of only 2.2 as there is hardly any protections for the internet passed in legislation. The US ranks Top 3 in cyber-safety with a score of 8.73, due to its low cyber security exposure and strong legislation passed to prevent this cyber-crime. “The most common type of cybercrime in the US is phishing and pharming, which accounted for 32.96% of all reported cybercrime in the country in 2020” (GCR). When carried out via email this practice is referred to as phishing, with it being referred to as pharming when the victim is directed to a fake website disguised as a legitimate one. To combat this, the US government has also utilized media as a tool to increase self-awareness among American Citizens about different types of security attacks, and what they can do to prevent leaks of passwords and account access. As technology evolves, Governments must develop new ways to track crimes caused by attackers to steal our data. The US is more proficient at security operations, while the European Countries place more focus on frameworks, standardization and processes of their own economy and infrastructure. In addition, the EU is typically governed by more stringent reporting requirements.
Sources –
Global Cybercrime Report: Which Countries Are Most At Risk? 2022 – SEON