Somerset is county with most cybercrime, claims survey

According to a new study by Clario, Somerset has the most victims of cybercrime as a percentage of its population with 13.6 victims per 1,000 – perhaps due to the fact people may not be taking basic precautions for protecting themselves online.

Northumbria has a small population of 319,000 but has the second-worst amount of cybercrime with 13.4 victims per 1,000. Dorset is third with 9.1 victims per 1,000 people, whilst Essex and Kent are at the lower end of the list. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, cybercriminals target the South East region the most, stealing £1,300,000 from its victims – almost double the amount stolen in the West Midlands (£647,000). This could be due to the fact that South East has a higher average wage than the West Midlands so there are more worthwhile potential targets for cybercriminals.

Overall, cybercrime is becoming increasingly prevalent due to the amount of information we share online about ourselves. It’s also having a huge impact with over 75% of victims claiming to have suffered stress from cybercrimes committed against them. 

Over half (57%)of Brits state that reporting the incident to the authorities resulted in no action being taken.

Examples of cyber threats can include data breaches, hacking, phishing and coercion into using malicious software which can have a detrimental effect on individuals and businesses. 

One of the most common causes is being too open with personal details which leaves victims susceptible to a number of cyberattacks. Statistics show that nearly 60% of Brits do not invest in protecting themselves online which can lead to them being the prime target to cybercriminals. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred cybercriminals on during this pandemic, with an increase in people working from home on unprotected servers. Those who encounter suspicious activity should contact [email protected].

The Top 10 Cybercrime Counties

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