The Netherlands tops the list of countries with the most cyber incidents on their servers. In the third quarter of this year, nearly 200 million incidents occurred on servers hosted in our country. This accounts for 41% of all cyberattacks worldwide. But why is it always the Netherlands that gets hit? In this article, we’ll tell you more about it!
Kaspersky Security Network
The figures illustrating this come from the Kaspersky Security Network list. This list has been maintained since 2013, and this year marks the first time the Netherlands has topped the list. Between July and September 2024, over 116 million cyber incidents occurred via servers in the United States. Germany follows in third place with 13 million attacks. This gives the U.S. a 25% share of all cyberattacks worldwide, while Germany accounts for just 3%. Compare that to the Netherlands, whose servers were the target of 41% of all cyberattacks worldwide in the third quarter of this year.
Increase in cyber incidents in the Netherlands since 2022
According to the Kaspersky Security Network report, the number of cyber incidents on Dutch servers suddenly surged in early 2022. At that time, the Netherlands ranked third on the global list of server abuse. It didn’t take long for our country to rise to second place, with only the United States ahead of it in terms of the high number of cyberattacks. The Netherlands remained in second place through the second quarter of 2024, but this changed in the last quarter. Although the number of attacks in our country did drop somewhat after mid-2022, we still ranked first in Q3, even ahead of the U.S.
The Netherlands has become a popular target for cybercriminals
It seems, then, that our country has suddenly become a haven for cybercriminals. When we compare the Netherlands’ share in the third quarter to that of three years ago, the difference is 36%. In 2021, it was 5%, and this year it’s 41%. The cybersecurity expert can’t explain why this increase is so massive. In 2023, the number of cyberattacks on Dutch servers dropped by more than 100 million. But unfortunately, there seems to be another rise in the number of incidents this year, keeping us in first place.
Where does this data come from?
Kaspersky Security Network compiles this list using data it receives in response to cyberattacks. When one of the cybersecurity provider’s customers is attacked online, they record the source of that attack. A WebAntivirus component then pinpoints the location of the threat. Their analysis focuses on malware samples, which are often found in multiple countries worldwide. One explanation for the Netherlands’ top ranking is our position within transatlantic internet traffic. A large portion of this traffic passes through the Amsterdam Internet Exchange. Our robust infrastructure is highly attractive to cybercriminals, as it allows them to easily reach many companies all over the world!