This digital revolution has changed the way we live our lives and has provided us with numerous benefits. From having information just a click of a button away, to being able to communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world, the internet has become a fundamental part of everyday life.

Although the internet has provided us with so many opportunities, it has also exposed us to risks as well. With so much data stored online, cybersecurity has become vitally important for personal use, governments, organizations, education, and essentially everyone in the world.

Cybersecurity has become a growing problem. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, no one could have predicted the effect it would have on our lives. Not only did many businesses close down, but even in-person activities began to reduce over time, making it seem like a thing of the past.

Cybersecurity, especially during this global crisis, has been making headlines in the news, internet and social media. You may remember 2020 cyber incidents such as Australia under cyberattack: is the world facing a cyber pandemic or Middle East facing ‘cyber pandemic’ as Covid exposes security vulnerabilities, cyber chief says to name a few. What we can tell you is that whether it’s a small scale or large scale, cybercriminals spare no one. Hackers look for any and every opportunity to exploit data and drain bank accounts for all that they’re worth. According to the US Internet Crime Complaint Center, the most common forms of cybercrime in 2020 were:

  1. Phishing and pharming: 241,342 victim count, equaling to 32.96% of total cybercrime
  2. Non-payment/non-delivery: 108,869 victim count, equaling to 14.87% of total cybercrime
  3. Extortion: 76,741 victim count, equaling to 10.48% of total cybercrime
  4. Personal data breach: 45,330 victim count, equaling to 6.19% of total cybercrime
  5. Identity theft: 43,330 victim count, equaling to 5.92% of total cybercrime

Unfortunately, there are many countries that do not prioritize protection regarding cybercrime. These top five countries have the highest risk of compromising personal data due to their poor legislation for their nation:

Netsweeper’s software solutions enable schools, telecom providers, governments and businesses to create a safer online environment for internet users. Our monitoring and filtering systems, use of AI categorization and defence against real-time threats has revolutionized the digital landscape to help provide a healthier internet for all.

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