The Top 10 Countries Most Targeted by Cyberattacks
Which countries are attacked most often in cyberspace? A new report by BlackBerry reveals that cyber threat actors target entities in the United States more than any other country in the world. The report also features a complete “top 10 list” of countries most often on the receiving end of cyberattacks.
Let’s take a look at the list — and the attacker motivations behind it.
Countries Most Often Targeted by Cyberattacks
The new BlackBerry Global Threat Intelligence Report takes an in-depth look at 90 days of attacks stopped by Cylance® endpoint security solutions from BlackBerry. This totaled an impressive 1,757,248 cyberattacks that took place between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, 2022.
Here are the 10 most attacked countries in cyberspace according to the report.
- United States (65% of cyberattacks)
- Japan (8%)
- Brazil (6%)
- Canada (5%)
- Australia (4%)
- Mexico (4%)
- Korea (2%)
- Chile (2%)
- India (2%)
- Peru (2%)
Why Do Cyber Threat Actors Target These Countries?
Why do threat actors target these countries most often with cyberattacks? According to BlackBerry Vice President of Threat Research & Intelligence, Ismael Valenzuela, there are several characteristics that make a country and its organizations a desirable target to threat actors. “Our research shows that there is a positive correlation between an increased number of cyberattacks and countries that possess greater internet penetration, significant economies and larger populations,” he says.
“It seems that the number of politically motivated threat actors is also increasing, which includes the vast spreading of misinformation and disinformation through fake news sites, tracking the actions and behaviors of journalists and dissidents, as well as attempted direct cyberattacks on government and military organizations.”
More Details in the BlackBerry Report
In addition to the top ten most attacked list, the BlackBerry Cybersecurity Global Threat Intelligence Report paints a rich picture of the current cyberthreat landscape.
This report includes:
- 90 days of cyberattacks “by the numbers”
- Most common cyber weapons used in attacks
- Top threat actors and countermeasures
- Operating systems targeted
- 2023 cyberthreat forecast
The report also includes a unique industry perspective based on BlackBerry’s strong presence across both the cybersecurity and Internet of Things (IoT) markets. This unusual market position allows our Threat Research and Intelligence Team to uncover threats to embedded systems and “heavy industry” sectors such as automotive and manufacturing, which are seldom discussed in other threat reports.
In particular, this edition includes information about observed cybersecurity trends that will impact the automotive industry, as well as the healthcare and financial sectors.
