South Africa has recorded the highest year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in cybercrime out of the ten most online targeted countries in the world, virtual private network company Surfshark has found.
According to a study conducted by the leak detection systems provider based in the British Virgin Islands, South Africa has recorded the highest density increase of internet breaches globally – 277% (see findings below).
Number-crunched it means South Africa has 51 victims per one million internet users.
Although Africa’s biggest internet user is top of Surfshark’s findings in relation to increases in cybercrime density, the UK is still the biggest hotbed for hoodlums hiding behind computers.
Since 2019 its cybercrime density has shot up by 131%, or 3 409 victims per one million users.
Even though South Africa’s alarming density increase has afforded it an ignominious position, it is still only sixth on the list.
Countries with density increases and victims per millions users (1M) are: the US (55% increase, 1 724 per/1M); Canada (45%, 163/1M); Belgium (1%, 94/1M); Australia (39%, 83/1M); France (32%, 27/1M; Germany (86%, 20/1M); Mexico (92%, 14/1M); India (1%, 4/1M).
Surfshark said: “Phishing continues to be the most common cybercrime for the second year in a row, while confidence and romance fraud had the highest financial impact in total on its victims.
“And as more of our lives become digital, the chances of falling victim to online crimes grow every year,” the company’s CEO, Vytautus Kaziukonis, said.
“Since 2001, the online crime victim count increased by 15 times, and financial losses grew more than 200 times, from $2 000 to $480 000 per hour.
“Inevitably, the privacy and cybersecurity landscape will change rapidly over the next several years. “Now is a good time to focus on personal cybersecurity hygiene to stay safer online.”
