There's no single "most hacked" country, as it depends on the metric (leaked data, attack frequency, or threat source), but recent reports highlight Australia as frequently targeted (often #1 in breaches per capita), the US with the most total leaked data points, and Russia often listed as a top source of cybercrime threats, according to indices like the University of Oxford Cybercrime Index. Other nations like China, Ukraine, and Poland also face significant cyber threats and attacks.
China, Russia, the United States, India, North Korea, and Iran are among the countries with the most hackers in the world.
1. United States – The Global Leader in Cyber Security
More than 90% of successful cyber-attacks start with a phishing email.
Theft of more than one billion passwords
In August 2014, the IT security company Hold Security revealed that Russian hackers had stolen 1.2 billion logins and passwords on 420,000 websites around the world.
Here are seven of the most famous hackers of all time and the stories behind their cyber escapades.
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
If you are charged with federal hacking crimes under 18 U.S.C. § 1030, you could face up to a year in federal prison for lesser offenses, between 10-20 years for more serious offenses, and even life in prison if the hacking resulted in someone's death.
Chance of being hacked is 1 in 5
According to our data analysis, 1 in 5 businesses would be the victim of a cyber incident with impact, even if an antivirus solution and firewall are present.
Perpetrators of a cyberattack can be criminals, hacktivists, or states. They attempt to find weaknesses in a system, exploit them and create malware to carry out their goals, and deliver it to the targeted system. Once installed, the malware can have a variety of effects depending on its purpose.
By Microsoft's estimates, there are 600 million cyberattacks per day. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) Annual Data Breach Report recorded 3,205 cyberattacks leading to data compromises in 2024.
Yes, you absolutely can make $200,000 or more in cybersecurity, especially in senior, specialized, or high-demand roles like CISO, Senior Security Engineer, Cloud Security Engineer, or Security Consultant, with compensation increasing significantly with experience, certifications, and location (especially in tech hubs). While entry-level roles start lower, experienced professionals can reach $200k+ through strategic career growth and skill development in areas like cloud security, application security, and executive leadership.
According to the 2023 Global Cybercrime Report by SEON, Afghanistan has the lowest overall Cyber-Safety Score.
Hacker demographics by race
Over 40% of global cyberattacks originate from China
China is widely known as a major source of global cyber threats. Nearly half of all cyberattacks tracked worldwide can be traced back to Chinese IP addresses or hacker groups. These attacks often target industries like aerospace, healthcare, defense, and technology.
The 5 countries with the highest amount of breached accounts in Q3 of 2022 were Russia, France (13.8 million), Indonesia (13.2 million), the US (8.4 million) and Spain (3.9 million). These countries accounted for more than half of the total breaches globally in Q3 2022.
Although financial gain is the top most reason why hackers hack into computer system to steal data, to do extortions and commit fraud, there are many other reasons such as espionage, ideological hack, grudge, or just being curios to see if one can do it.
The Most Notorious Cyberattacks In History
The World Economic Forum notes that 95% of cybersecurity issues can be traced to human mistakes. A 2025 Mimecast report likewise found 95% of breaches involved human error - underscoring that human mistakes surpassed technological flaws as the top cause of breaches.
Start by deleting unknown apps, updating your software, and running a security scan. Change passwords to any affected accounts and turn on 2FA. If you believe your phone has been hacked, start by removing any suspicious apps, updating your phone, and getting access back to any hacked accounts.
While this is a terrifying scenario, it is highly unlikely. Causing mass outages across an entire country and compromising all critical networks simultaneously, including ISPs, satellite networks, and radio transmissions, is far-fetched in our current world.
Tools like stalkerware apps, often used by abusive partners, or financially motivated Android malware such as SpyLoan, have been detected exploiting cameras to monitor victims or collect compromising video material.”
A black-hat hacker is a person that illegally breaks into computer networks. They may be aiming to steal log-in credentials, personal and bank information, modify or delete stolen data, sell data on the dark web, or commit other malicious cybercrimes.
Cyber. The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks by criminals, overseas adversaries, and terrorists. The threat is incredibly serious—and growing.