A cyberattack is a malicious attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in a computer system or network to steal data, damage the system, or disrupt normal operations. Cyberattacks can take many forms, including viruses, ransomware, phishing, denial-of-service attacks, and others. 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’s 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.

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, several characteristics 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.”

There are several steps you can take to fight against cyberattacks: cyberattack

1. Educate yourself and your team: Keep up-to-date with the latest threats and vulnerabilities, and train your team on how to identify and respond to potential cyberattacks.
2. Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication: Implement strong password policies and two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to your systems.
3. Install security software: Install and regularly update antivirus and other security software to protect against malware and other threats.
4. Keep your systems up-to-date: Keep your operating system, software, and firmware up-to-date to patch any known vulnerabilities.
5. Back up your data: Regularly back up your data and store it in a secure location to ensure that you can recover from a successful cyberattack.
6. Monitor your systems: Set up intrusion detection and prevention systems to monitor your network for suspicious activity.
7. Plan for incidents: Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to ensure that you can quickly and effectively respond to a cyberattack.
8. Engage a reputable cybersecurity professional: Consider working with a reputable cybersecurity professional to conduct security assessments, provide guidance on security best practices, and respond to incidents.