France Cyber Security and Cyber Crime Statistics

Cybersecurity has become increasingly important for large organizations and governments in today’s digital age. Recent trends reveal a huge increase in hacked and breached data which are side effects of a global pandemic. In addition, many companies have gone completely remote, placing them at a very high risk of cyberattacks and phishing scams.

The widespread increase in mobile usage and the Internet of Things have contributed to the rising ecosystem of cybercriminals. For example, Symantec reported that 41 percent of French smartphone users had been victims of cybercrime attacks in the past year.

In 2015, France enacted a national cyber security plan. The strategy supports French society’s digital transformation by addressing the new problems posed by changing digital technology uses and the threats that come with them.

Here are some of the most recent statistics, facts, and trends around cybercrime and cyber security in France. Furthermore, we analyze current efforts and challenges associated with cybersecurity in France.

Cyber Security Statistic from France

Here are the recent statistics regarding cyber security in France.

Increase in Cyber Crimes

According to data from the 2020 Cyber Threat defense Reports, 80% of organizations have experienced one successful cyber attack. Additionally, as companies and enterprises are migrating to the cloud, there has been an increase in these attacks.

According to the reports, there have been record-breaking levels of successful attacks, with four out of every five organizations experiencing a successful cyberattack. Another report carried out by security company Symantec shows that France suffers more cybercrime than other European countries.

Last year, the number of cyberattacks on critical French businesses quadrupled as cybercriminals exploited the Covid-19 pandemic to steal data and funds.

59% of French Organizations Suffered a Ransomware Attack

According to reports published by Statistica Research Department, about 59% of French organizations were hit by ransomware attacks in the last 12 months in 2018. In another report from The State of Ransomware Report 2020 by Sophos, 52 percent of French organizations were hit by ransomware in 2020. This is a figure lower than that published by the Statistica Research Department.

During the pandemic, ransomware has been a plague worldwide, but France has been particularly heavily impacted. In terms of total damages in the past year, it is second to the United States, dealing with $5.5 billion in ransomware payouts and recovery costs. Ransomware has also become so common that companies are now including the cost of payment during budgeting. However, security experts have advised against ransomware payment as this increases the attempts made by hackers in attacking organizations.

The average ransomware payout in France has climbed to €250,000 (nearly $USD 300,000. The average cost of recovery is frequently significantly more than that, according to CPO Magazine. The largest general insurer in France, AXA France, has revealed that it will no longer reimburse ransomware charges for policyholders within the country. This is because the average payout prices have risen in the last year, and the government is opposing ransomware payment as a measure of curbing the attacks.

The consequences of a ransomware attack on an organization could be threatening. There is the risk of exposure of customer’s data, for example, when the company is completely shut down by an attack and, in some cases, bankruptcy can occur if quick actions are not taken.

France is Responsible for 5.97% of Email Spamming Attacks

Kaspersky released a detailed account of phishing attacks all around the world. France generates a significant amount of spam, becoming the 5th most prominent source of spam. The report also revealed that the Netherlands was the source of 4% of spam attacks while Russia accounted for 21.27% of all spam emails in 2020.

According to Kaspersky’s reports, these attacks will increase as more organizations opt for remote work, rendering employees vulnerable to such attacks.

France Ranks 3rd in the Number of Phishing Attempts

According to the same report by Kaspersky, France came third among countries with the largest number of attempts at phishing in 2018. France had not been seen among the top 10 countries since 2015. In France, anti-phishing was activated on the devices of 17.90% of Kaspersky users.

This is a higher proportion than most other countries and isn’t too far behind Brazil with 19.94 percent and Portugal with 19.73 percent, which are countries that top the list. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in the software and apps used by common users to access companies’ servers to compromise their network.

French Organizations Allocate Around 10% of Their Budget to Security

In a study done by Statistica Research Department, the average cybersecurity expenditure of French firms is about 31 million euros, which was the highest cyber security expenditure for European firms.

The government announced a plan to allocate 1 billion euros to strengthen cybersecurity in France, focusing on rising cyberattacks on hospitals during the pandemic. As a result, in 2020, the security budget in France increased by an average of 5%, which was a significant increase from past years.

Hospitals Alone Accounted for 11% of All Cyber Attacks Recorded in France in 2020

According to CheckPoint, ransomware assaults worldwide increased by 102% in 2021. According to Cédric O, France’s technology and telecoms minister, an average of one hospital per week has been the target of a cyber attack in 2021.

The National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) revealed that ransomware attacks had increased, with about 27 significant cyberattacks in French hospitals in 2020. This number will only increase in 2021, with at least a hospital being attacked every week.

The increased attacks on hospitals during the pandemic have led to recent changes in the cybersecurity concerns of public services. Hospitals are particularly vulnerable because they are easy targets due to a lack of IT security systems investment.

Prominent attacks that have taken place include the Vastaamo Clinic attack. In October, the company declared that its internal system had been compromised and sensitive patient data were stolen. Ransom was demanded from the Vastaamo Clinic and patients who got emails from the attackers threatening to leak private health information to the public if the ransom demanded was not paid within a specified time.

In less than a week, Dax and Villefranche-sur-Saône, another French hospital, was hit by an attack. This attack made computers unusable, making it impossible to use medical facilities for radiotherapy or access patient records.

France Ranks 3rd Out of 9 for Its Overall Cyber Security Score

The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) is a reliable reference that assesses countries’ commitment to cybersecurity on a global scale based on a few factors. First, the report analyses countries based on their level of development in terms of legal, technical, organizational, capacity building, and cooperation and then gives an overall score.

The annual report released by GCI ranked France 3rd, with the United Kingdom and the United States topping the list of cyber-secure countries. The country has also established partnerships with the UK, China, and the USA to build a more effective cyber security strategy.

Another report by the National Cyber Security Index, however, ranks France amongst the top 10 countries doing well in cybersecurity. Greece, Estonia, and Lithuania topped the list of cyber-secure countries.

France Is in the Top Four Countries Affected by Stalkerware in Europe

Stalkerware is often used by criminals to spy on people and is frequently used to invade a person’s privacy. It also allows access to personal data as this stalkerware is designed to go unnoticed.

A study by Kaspersky revealed the statistics of stalkerware around the country, with France having about 904 affected users in its survey. Countries topping the list are Germany with 1547 users and Italy with 1441 users affected by stalkerware.

The study by Kaspersky also showed that seven in ten women in Europe who have experienced cyberstalking have a history of physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. With the increased usage of stalkerware apps, targets must have the knowledge that such software exists and also how to identify them.

Cybersecurity and GDPR are closely linked. This is because France has the advantage of being governed by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This regulation was enacted to regulate the protection of personal data in electronic communications.

The French authorities issued a €50 million fine to Google for failing to comply with its new privacy laws. The law requires that companies receive permission before users’ data is collected and options to delete the data collected.

Conclusion

These are some of the most commonly cited cyber security statistics for France. This list gives you good information about the state of cybersecurity in France. It should also give you a good picture of the prevalent patterns across the country. As a result of this information, you can take the necessary precautions to protect your privacy and personal data.