Russia, US among most-breached countries in Q1 2022

Data breaches have continued to affect millions of users globally since the start of 2022.

A study from Surfshark found that Russia is first in terms of breached accounts from January to March 2022, with more than 3.5 million internet users affected. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 136% more Russian accounts were breached than in February.

The U.S., which came in second place, shows a positive downward trend in data breaches for the second quarter in a row. The US had almost 50% fewer affected users in 2022 than in the last quarter, with around 2.5 million users breached.

Poland shot up the chart due to a sharp spike in breaches amidst widespread phishing attacks, with 961,000 users breached in the first quarter of 2022. In comparison, there were only 159,000 breaches in Q4 2021. Poland's media reported a wave of telephone phishing attacks at the beginning of the year, seeking to lure out credit card details. Meanwhile, Ukraine appeared in 67% fewer breaches than in the quarter before the war.

The analysis highlights that the top five countries with the most data breaches account for half of all leaks in Q1 2022. Russians alone make up almost a fifth of all global victims. The numbers in the country are 11% higher than in the last quarter, surpassing the usual front runner — the United States.

For more data breach statistics, click here.

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