Cybercrime in the Nordic countries - Statistics & Facts
Being digitally advanced does not guarantee Nordic countries a flawless cyber environment. In fact, due to strict regulations, cybercrime reporting is relatively precise, making the digital environment more transparent. In 2022, almost five percent of companies in Denmark and Finland reported cyberattacks from an outsider threat actor while only a small share of organizations reported incidents of unauthorized cyber intrusion. In Finland, more than seven percent of companies stated experiencing data compromise due to system failures.
As of April 2023, the threat of cyber espionage and cybercrime against Denmark was very high. Furthermore, Denmark’s ports and logistics companies were threatened as well. As per data protection and breaches, a vast majority of complaints were regarding cyber events that did not intend to harm a system or the company.
Between 2018 and 2022, the highest number of cyberattacks in Finland was recorded in 2020, 1,747. In 2023, this number decreased to 558. Around 40 percent of the country’s general adult population between 18 and 64 years old said they performed some kind of action to protect their personal data online.
In the Nordic countries, the overall preparedness for cyberattacks is sufficient. Nevertheless, the concern about possible cyberattacks remains high. To combat this, companies and organizations not only in the Nordics but globally employ various tools and make changes in the defense strategy. In the bigger picture it is notable that in Nordic markets, the governments tend to prioritize cybersecurity of both private and public sector.
Data breaches
In the first quarter of 2024, Finland saw a total of more than 120,000 breached data points. This, nonetheless, is a decrease from the second quarter of 2023. Norway saw around 186,000 breached records, an increase from the previous quarter. In Iceland, an unusual number of data records were compromised in the third quarter of 2022. The number of breached data records is not always proportional to the country’s population, as many data points of different significance can be assigned to one person.Cyber climate across Nordics
In the past few years, the number of cyberattacks reported by network information service (NIS) providers in Sweden almost doubled. Meanwhile, the most common causes of cyber incidents were cyberattacks and system failures.As of April 2023, the threat of cyber espionage and cybercrime against Denmark was very high. Furthermore, Denmark’s ports and logistics companies were threatened as well. As per data protection and breaches, a vast majority of complaints were regarding cyber events that did not intend to harm a system or the company.
Between 2018 and 2022, the highest number of cyberattacks in Finland was recorded in 2020, 1,747. In 2023, this number decreased to 558. Around 40 percent of the country’s general adult population between 18 and 64 years old said they performed some kind of action to protect their personal data online.
Political intent
Despite not being actively involved in conflicts, Nordic countries often get targeted by state actors from other countries in attacks with political intent. In these cases, the targets are frequently government agencies, public universities, and critical infrastructure. Often, such attacks have a motivation to steal intelligence or research data. In 2023, government agencies in Sweden reported about 189 cyberattacks, down from 231 in the year prior. Between January 2020 and June 2024, Finland saw ten cyberattacks with political intent. Additionally, there were 12 such attacks in the measured period.In the Nordic countries, the overall preparedness for cyberattacks is sufficient. Nevertheless, the concern about possible cyberattacks remains high. To combat this, companies and organizations not only in the Nordics but globally employ various tools and make changes in the defense strategy. In the bigger picture it is notable that in Nordic markets, the governments tend to prioritize cybersecurity of both private and public sector.
