EU: 33% of citizens hit by cyberattacks in 2019

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Last year, around 33% of EU citizens aged 16 to 74 had problems with security-related incidents, according to data released on Tuesday by the 27-member bloc's statistical authority (Eurostat).

Password harvesting via fraudulent messages, known as phishing, and pharming, the use of fake websites to steal personal information, were the most frequent security incidents in the EU.

In 2019, 25% of all attacks in the bloc were phishing incidents, while 12% were listed as pharming.

The highest share of people who experienced security-related problems in the bloc was in Denmark, with 50%.

They were followed by France with 46%, Sweden with 45%, Malta and the Netherlands with 42% each, Bulgaria with 13% and Greece with 13%.

Meanwhile, on Feb. 11 Safer Internet Day 2020, the European Commission released a statement saying: "Strengthening cybersecurity and combatting harmful content such as illegal hate speech, terrorist propaganda, child abuse content online and disinformation are key priorities for the European Union."

It noted that the EU would continue to focus on making the internet safer and better.

Several studies have shown that cyberattacks have dealt huge damage to the world economy, which lost $3 trillion in 2015 due to cyberattacks -- expected to rise to $6 trillion in losses this year.