Kaspersky rates Maldives 16th on online attack threat list

Internet security firm Kaspersky has ranked the Maldives 16th in a list of countries where the highest percentage of its customer base face online attacks, placing it between Ukraine and Moldova.

The Bloomberg news agency has reported that the list found 47 percent of Kaspersky’s customers in the Maldives had come under attack from cyber criminals during 2012.

Based on internet world statistics, around 34 percent of the Maldives population – an estimated 134,860 people – were online last year, the report added.

Despite ongoing concerns about the growing threat of potential cyber crime in the Maldives, Kaspersky concluded that neighbouring countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh faced even more prevalent online threats, placing them in 9th, 8th and 7th on the list respectively.

At the top of list was Russia, with Kaspersky – founded in the country – concluding that 59 percent of its customers in the nation had faced online assaults in 2012.

At the other end of the list, Spain and the US were placed at 20th and 19th place respectively.

In December last year, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) announced it had received 61 reports of suspected cyber crime in 2012 – a second consecutive annual increase in such offences since 2010.

Meanwhile, in September 2012, the MPS announced it would be forming a special Cyber Policing Department.

Police stated at the time that three units will be operating under the new department, including the cyber crime investigation unit, cyber forensics unit and cyber security unit.

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