Don't Become The Next Hacking Victim

Cyber-attacks on governments and businesses have been on the rise in recent years, and they can have devastating consequences on their victims. Some countries are generating more cyber-attacks than others.

While it is difficult to determine the source of a cyber-attack, knowing the country from which it originated can go a long way towards identifying the hacker.

Here is a look at the countries that are most active in launching cyber-attacks, as well as those that are most targeted by hackers.

Top Hacking Countries

China tops the list of countries that generate the most hack attacks, and it was responsible for 41 percent of the cyber-attack traffic in the world in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to data released by Akamai.

Investigations discovered that China has a highly sophisticated hacker network, and many of its hackers are connected to the military or sponsored by the government.

The United States ranks second on the list, accounting for about 10 percent of global attack traffic in the fourth quarter of 2012. It is home to members of notorious hacking groups such as AntiSec and Anonymous.

Other countries that are known to be actively involved in cyber-attacks include Turkey, Russia, Taiwan, Brazil, Romania, Italy, India and Hungary.

Countries Most Targeted by Hackers

A study conducted by American security company FireEye found that the UK and Germany are the countries that are most targeted by hackers.

About 17 percent of advanced persistent threats were aimed at the UK and 12 percent were targeted against Germany in the first half of 2014. These two countries are preferred targets because the headquarters of many international corporations are located there, and their economies are appealing to cybercriminals who are looking for financial gain.

According to an article entitled "Where are the Worst Places in the World for Hacking?", most of the countries that are frequently targeted by hackers are wealthy nations. Other examples of such countries include the U.S., France, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

How Businesses Can Prevent Cyber Attacks

Since most hackers are financially-motivated, businesses are one of the types of organizations that face the highest risk of cyber-attacks.

Hack attacks can cause businesses to sustain substantial financial losses, lose important data, suffer reputational damage and even get into legal trouble.

Below is a list of things that businesses can do to prevent cyber-attacks:

• use strong and unique passwords

• avoid using the same password for different services

• implement two-factor authentication

• update software when necessary

• read permissions carefully before installing apps

• check the publisher of an app before installing

• do not use hard drives or thumb drives from unknown sources

• make sure a website is safe and secure before entering personal information

• avoid sending personal information via email

• watch out for phishing scams

Cyber-attacks should not be taken lightly.

While there is no sure way to prevent hack attacks, businesses, organizations and individuals can take the abovementioned measures to minimize their risk.