Egypt and Mexico are most vulnerable to cyber security threats, says report

Mexico, Egypt and New Zealand are the least prepared countries when it comes to data security and cybersecurity threats, according to a new study by a company that makes encryption and password management software.

“Mexico takes the lead as the least prepared country for data security threats,” reads the study by Psono, in part.

The study, according to the company, evaluated 54 countries for data security preparedness by factoring in the UN's Global Cybersecurity Index, the available number of accounts exposed in each country during data breaches, and searches for the phrase, “how to create a strong password”.

Psono's report also took into consideration the number of cybersecurity professionals working in each of the 54 countries, as well as each country's digital competitiveness ranking.

“Egypt still struggles with a relatively low number of cybersecurity professionals,” the study read.

“The country also sees limited public engagement in cybersecurity, with an overall 194,000 password related searches.”

As for New Zealand, although the study indicates that it had a much higher digital competitiveness ranking compared to many of the other countries observed, its limited cybersecurity professionals and high number of password related searches “raises questions about its overall preparedness despite its strong digital infrastructure,” the Psono study continued.

Sweden, followed by Singapore and Germany, according to the research, were the most prepared in terms of cybersecurity.

“Despite its smaller population, Singapore has a remarkable number of cybersecurity professionals, indicating a high density of skilled cybersecurity experts,” read the study.

Other countries rounding out the top ten in terms of strong cyber preparedness are Denmark, Czech Republic, Kenya, Malaysia, Greece, Finland and Portugal.

“Countries with a higher density of cybersecurity professionals per capita and strong public engagement with practices like creating secure passwords tend to be better prepared to handle cyber threats,” said Psono spokesperson, also noting that several common sense strategies can still keep users one step ahead of those hope to exploit vulnerabilities.

“It’s important to regularly update your security practices, such as using strong, unique passwords and ensuring that both individuals and businesses alike have access to the right expertise in cybersecurity.”

Morey Haber, a chief security adviser at cybersecurity firm BeyondTrust said the Psono study highlights a critical gap some countries face that could leave them very vulnerable.

“As cyber threats grow increasingly complex, not every country is equipped to tackle them effectively, especially those with insufficient cybersecurity education and minimal financial and workforce support,” he said.

“Respectfully, the contrasting profiles between nations underscores a critical need for global collaboration.”

Mr Haber also said the study also showed the proof of concept that investment in digital infrastructure and jobs and can yield long-term benefits.

“With strong statistics for the number of cybersecurity professionals and interest in personal security, countries like Sweden and Singapore demonstrate how strategic investments in digital literacy and workforce development can help secure a nation from nefarious threat actors.”

According to a 2024 report from the World Economic Forum, issues such as cybersecurity and data vulnerability show no sign of waning, with points for potential cyberattacks are growing at an “unprecedented” rate.

Those potential attacks, according to the WEF report, will likely continue with the number of Internet of Things devices expected to surpass 32 billion by 2030.