10 States With the Highest Cybercrime Risk
Cybercrime is an ever-increasing threat to Americans in all states. Criminals maliciously hack into computers, phones, and other digital devices from across the globe, causing cases of identity theft, data breaches, computer viruses, and more.
Based on historical data that NetworkBuildz gathered, residents of these states are at a higher risk of cybercrime this year.
Gathering the Data
Mobile and telecommunication company NetworkBuildz launched a study to determine the states with the highest risk of cybercrime based on historical data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Internet Crime Reports. They analyzed the five-year period between 2018 and 2022, calculating the number of cyber attacks per 100,000 people to make the rankings fairer.
1: Nevada
Nevada is the most susceptible state to cybercrime in America. The Silver State has averaged 1,756 cyber attacks per 100,000 people.
2: Alaska
Although Alaskans statistically have the second-highest chance of becoming a victim of cybercrime this year, they rank significantly below Nevada. The Last Frontier “only” averaged 1,153 cyber attacks per capita.
3: Maryland
Maryland dropped out of the four-digit danger zone for cybercrimes, with 951 residents experiencing cybercrime per 100,000 individuals. But that undoubtedly feels like 951 too many for those affected.
4: Colorado
Colorado has many great qualities, but its high cybercrime isn’t among them. The Centennial State has an average of 928 cybercrimes per capita.
5: Florida
Florida ranks in the top five worst states for cybercrime, with 899 crimes per 100,000 residents.
6: Iowa
Iowans are no strangers to cybercrime incidents, with an average of 886 occurring per capita over the five-year period that NetworkBuildz studied.
7: Washington
An average of 875 cybercrimes occur in Washington per 100,000 residents. It’s a sobering number for Washingtonians.
8: Delaware
Delaware is barely in better shape than Washington on the cybercrime front. The First State experiences 874 cybercrimes per capita.
9: California
In addition to having the highest state income tax in the nation, California also has a too-high-for-comfort cybercrime problem. The Golden State has 801 cybercrimes per 100,000 residents.
10: Arizona
Arizona rounds out the top ten states with the highest risk of cybercrime this year, according to historical data. An average of 746 residents per 100,000 people in the Grand Canyon State fall victim to cybercrimes.
Lowest Cybercrime
Mississippi has the fewest cybercrime incidents in the nation. It only has 345 cybercrimes per 100,000 residents, about five times less than Nevada. Nevertheless, even one cybercrime is one too many.
Runners Up
North Dakota wasn’t too far behind Mississippi, with 395 cybercrimes per capita. Kansas, Louisiana, and Arkansas ranked as the third, fourth, and fifth states with the lowest rates of cyberattacks, respectively.
The 2020 Spike
A spokesperson for NetworkBuildz offered an interesting note about the 2020 cybercrime data they analyzed. “Eight of the top 10 states mentioned experienced the highest number of cybercrimes in 2020. As such, this suggests that 2020 was a particularly detrimental year for cyber-attacks, possibly due to the vulnerable state of the global landscape because of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Protecting Yourself From Cyberattacks
According to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), there are four things Americans should practice to reduce the risk of a cyberattack:
- Turn on multifactor authentication
- Update your software
- Use strong passwords
- Think before you click
Think Before You Click
Many people automatically click on links without checking the source they come from. This is a particularly big issue with links in emails, as CISA states that over 90% of successful cyberattacks begin with a phishing email. A phishing email is an email that appears to come from a reputable brand or source. Upon closer investigation, you’ll note that the email address is off by one or more characters.
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