The World Cybercrime Index, which was unveiled in the journal PLOS One, ranked Russia, Ukraine, and China as the worst spots for cybercrime. The United States ranked fourth.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of New South Wales Canberra, surveying nearly 100 cybercrime experts.
Researchers surveyed experts in cybercrime intelligence from around the world and asked them to nominate countries they considered to be the most significant sources of cybercrime from five major categories and then rank the countries according to the impact, professionalism and technical skill of the offenders.
"A relatively small number of countries house the greatest cybercriminal threats," the study said.
Russia ranked the highest in all three categories. The United States ranked fifth in impact of cybercrimes, tied for fifth in professionalism, and ranked seventh for technical skill.
Other countries singled out as cybercrime hot spots included Nigeria, Romania, Moldova, North Korea, Brazil, India, Iran, and the United Kingdom.
"These findings partially remove the veil of anonymity around cybercriminal offenders, may aid law enforcement and policymakers in fighting this threat, and contribute to the study of cybercrime as a local phenomenon," the study said.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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