September 29, 2025
Updated: November 3, 2026
Why the U.S., Ukraine, Israel, Japan, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, Germany, and Poland top hackers' hit lists in 2026, and how to harden defenses.
Mohammed Khalil
Understanding which countries top cyber attack lists is crucial for prioritizing defense. This analysis uses public threat reports from Microsoft, IBM X-Force, Radware, Acronis, CERT Polska and the UK NCSC, plus expert commentary, to profile the 10 most targeted countries in 2026. The focus is on recent data from 2024 to mid-2026 to answer who is hit hardest and why. Factors include ongoing conflicts, large digital economies, and critical industries. For Greece-specific providers, see top penetration testing companies in Greece.
For where security budgets go by country, see Cybersecurity Spending by Country.
No single dataset ranks every country the same way, so we do not blend them into one score. The closest thing to a global country ranking is the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2026, which ranks countries by their share of Microsoft customers impacted by cyber threats in January-June 2026; we also cite the 2025 edition (January-June 2025) for comparison. Country shares within each region come from IBM X-Force's 2025 Threat Intelligence Index, which covers incidents IBM investigated in 2024 (the 2026 edition publishes regional shares only). Hacktivist DDoS counts come from Radware, malware detection rates from Acronis, and national incident counts from CERT Polska and the UK NCSC. The ten countries below each rank first in their region or near the top of at least one of these datasets, and each profile states which source and period applies. For broader context on major incidents, see CSIS's list of hacking incidents and geopolitical context.
The profiles below are not a single ranking; they keep this guide's original order. For each country we note where it sits in Microsoft's ranking and which other source supports its inclusion:
The U.S. remains the #1 target globally by sheer volume, so U.S. organizations should prioritize attack-surface validation, identity testing and continuous security review, for example through penetration testing services. Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2026 puts the U.S. first with 25.5% of customer impact in January-June 2026, up from 24.8% a year earlier. In IBM X-Force's 2025 index, the U.S. accounted for 86% of the North American incidents IBM investigated in 2024, with Canada at 14% (IBM's Canadian breach-cost research shows the cost pressure north of the border too). Nation-state actors focus heavily on the U.S.: it had the highest nation-state activity count in Microsoft's July 2025-June 2026 regional sample (531 observed events), and it was the top target of Russian state actors (21% of Microsoft's notifications) and second for Iranian actors (23%). CISA tracks these nation-state cyber actors. As the world's largest digital economy, the U.S. has countless lucrative targets, federal agencies, Fortune 500 firms, banks, hospitals, utilities and critical infrastructure. Attackers of all kinds, cybercriminals seeking data or ransom and nation state actors such as Russian, Chinese and Iranian APTs, relentlessly probe U.S. networks. Incidents such as the Colonial Pipeline shutdown and the Change Healthcare ransomware attack show how disruptive U.S. breaches can be. In short, the U.S. leads in attack counts because of its big attack surface and high value assets.
Ukraine has faced some of the most sustained attack activity of any country since Russia's 2022 invasion. Radware counted 2,052 claimed hacktivist DDoS attacks on Ukraine in 2024, more than any other country (Radware 2025 Global Threat Analysis Report); in 2025 it ranked third with 8.9% of claimed attacks. Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2026 ranks Ukraine third worldwide for customer impact (4.8%, January-June 2026), and Ukraine was the second most targeted country for Russian state actors (14% of Microsoft's notifications). These attacks are overwhelmingly politically motivated, mostly Russian sponsored or hacktivist strikes tied to the war. Ukraine's government, military, power grid, telecom and banking systems have been hit by waves of DDoS floods, wiper malware and espionage campaigns. Hackers aim to disrupt civilian infrastructure and erode trust in the government. Ukraine's situation shows how warzones become cyber battlegrounds. Defensive measures like backups and segmenting networks have thwarted many intrusions, but the relentless barrage keeps Ukraine a top target.
Israel rose to second place in Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2026, with 7.6% of customer impact in January-June 2026 (third, at 3.5%, in January-June 2025). Radware counted 1,550 claimed hacktivist DDoS attacks on Israel in 2024 and ranked it first in 2025, with 12.2% of all claimed attacks (Radware 2026 Global Threat Analysis Report). Microsoft also found Israel was the top target of Iranian state actors, receiving 39% of its Iranian nation-state notifications. Pro Palestinian hacktivists and Iran backed actors have launched DDoS sieges, defacements and data leaks against Israeli banks, media, telecom and government sites. Critical infrastructure such as energy and water has been probed too. Even low grade hacks can cause major disruption in Israel's tightly networked society, and the October 2023 Gaza war sharply increased hacktivist activity. The takeaway: conflict driven cyber warfare, both hacktivist and state sponsored, pushes Israel high on the list. Despite Israel's strong cyber defenses, its prominence, advanced tech economy and open Internet mean it will stay heavily targeted in 2026.
Japan was the most targeted country in Asia Pacific in IBM X-Force's 2025 index, accounting for 66% of APAC incidents IBM investigated in 2024, a year when APAC was the most attacked region (34% of cases). In the 2026 index, APAC slipped to second (27%) behind North America (29%); IBM's public 2026 materials do not break out Japan. Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2026 ranks Japan eighth worldwide for customer impact (2.5%, January-June 2026) and second in Asia Pacific for nation-state activity, behind Taiwan. Japan's economy is highly digitized in automotive, electronics and manufacturing, and it is a critical node in global supply chains. These factors draw both cybercriminals and state actors. APT groups from China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia regularly target Japanese firms for industrial espionage and proprietary data. Common crimes such as phishing, business email compromise, and ransomware also hit Japanese banks and corporations. In sum, Japan's advanced industry and wealth make it a natural cyber target.
For UK organizations strengthening cyber defenses, the UK consistently ranks near the top for malware and attacks, especially across finance, universities, digital services, and high-value business targets. Microsoft's Digital Defense Report ranked the UK second worldwide for customer impact in January-June 2025 (5.6%) and fifth in January-June 2026 (3.8%); the UK was also the third most targeted country for Russian state actors (11% of Microsoft's notifications). IBM X-Force's 2025 index found the UK was the most targeted country in Europe, with 25% of the European incidents IBM investigated in 2024, followed by Germany. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre handled 204 nationally significant incidents between September 2024 and August 2025, up from 89 a year earlier. Why the UK? A large, wealthy digital economy and a big finance/tech sector make British organizations lucrative prey. Criminals run mass phishing and malware campaigns, often spoofing major UK brands, hitting banks, insurers, healthcare and universities. The UK's high Internet penetration and affluence mean hackers get good returns on scams, identity theft and ransomware. In short, being prosperous and online makes the UK a magnet for cyberattacks.
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia leads IBM's regional data: IBM X-Force's 2025 index named Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the most impacted countries in the Middle East and Africa in 2024, a year in which the Middle East accounted for 10% of the attacks X-Force responded to, up from 7% in 2023. Microsoft's data shows the region's exposure from a different angle: the UAE ranked sixth worldwide for customer impact in January-June 2026 (2.8%), and Saudi Arabia appears among Iranian state actors' ten most targeted countries. As a wealthy oil exporter and regional power, Saudi Arabia has vast critical infrastructure and government networks to target. Iranian state backed hackers and hacktivists frequently aim at Saudi oil and gas facilities, government sites, and banks. The Shamoon wiper attack on Saudi Aramco in 2012, and later Shamoon variants in 2016 to 2018, illustrate this threat. Financial institutions and major corporations in Saudi Arabia also face constant intrusion attempts. Essentially, Saudi Arabia's strategic importance and regional rivalries make it a high value target.
Brazil leads Latin America's cyberattack statistics. IBM X-Force's 2025 Latin America release gives no country split; the region accounted for 8% of the incidents X-Force responded to in 2024, down from 12% the year before. In Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2026, Brazil had the second highest nation-state activity count in the Americas after the U.S. (July 2025-June 2026), although it is not in Microsoft's global top 10 for customer impact. As the largest economy in the region, Brazil's booming online banking, retail, and public sector draw cybercrime. Brazil has seen ransomware hit hospitals, city governments and universities, and financial fraud and phishing are rampant against Brazilian banks and fintechs. Political events such as elections have also prompted disinformation and hacking attempts. Attacks often exploit outdated systems in sectors like healthcare and utilities. In sum, Brazil's size and digital growth make it Latin America's #1 target.
India has surged up the list. Microsoft's Digital Defense Report ranks India seventh worldwide for customer impact in January-June 2026 (2.5%), up from eighth (2.3%) in January-June 2025. The Acronis Cyberthreats Report H1 2025 found India had the highest malware detection rate among its focus countries in May 2025, with malware detected on 12.4% of Acronis-protected Windows endpoints in India (13.2% in June). Acronis's H2 2025 report named India among the three countries with the highest mass infection and lateral movement rates. This reflects India's massive population and fast growing digital infrastructure: smart cities, fintech and e commerce. Cybercriminals are scaling up AI driven phishing and ransomware campaigns across Indian enterprises. Key targets include banks, healthcare groups and government portals, and Indian telecom and cloud service providers have also reported surges in attacks. With so many users online and uneven baseline defenses, attackers see India as a high yield target.
Germany consistently ranks in the global top 10. Microsoft's Digital Defense Report ranked it fourth worldwide for customer impact in January-June 2025 (3.3%) and tenth in January-June 2026 (1.7%), the only EU member state in the 2026 top 10. As Europe's largest economy, it accounted for 18% of the European incidents IBM X-Force investigated in 2024, second to the UK. Microsoft lists Germany among the NATO members that are a secondary focus for Russian state actors. Germany's huge industrial base of automotive, machinery and chemicals attracts espionage and ransomware. Organized crime and nation state actors target German firms to steal IP or disrupt supply chains. Government agencies and financial institutions also face frequent hacks by Russian and Chinese APT groups seeking intelligence. In short, Germany's mix of high value industry and geopolitical profile (NATO/EU role) makes it a major cyber target.
Poland has rapidly become a prime target, especially for Russian actors. CERT Polska recorded 260,783 unique security incidents in 2025, up 152% from 103,449 in 2024; most were computer fraud and phishing. In late December 2025, coordinated sabotage attacks hit Poland's energy sector for the first time, targeting at least 30 wind and solar farms, a manufacturer and a large combined heat and power plant (CERT Polska incident report); Microsoft attributes the attack to a Russian threat actor. In 2024, Polish officials described Poland as the most frequent EU target of Russian cyberattacks. The conflicts near its borders mean Poland's power grids, utilities, government and military networks are under constant probing. Poland ranks lower in Microsoft's customer impact data (tenth in Europe for nation-state activity), which shows how much the picture depends on the dataset. In response, Poland has increased cyber defense spending, with the government allocating PLN 4 billion (about €930 million) for cybersecurity in 2025. This intense focus by hostile actors, plus Poland's NATO ties, has driven its emergence as a top target country.
Several common factors explain why these countries top the charts:
Collectively, these factors mean that even countries with strong defenses like the US or UK face relentless pressure, while developing nations like India or Brazil see attackers exploiting growing pains.
The attack types hitting these countries today span the usual spectrum, plus some new twists:
In IBM’s 2025 report, phishing was still a top entry vector, but attackers are increasingly delivering info stealers via phishing resulting in stolen credentials. This fuels a shift toward identity based attacks.
Certain sectors bear the brunt in these countries. A common theme: industries with valuable data or critical functions see the most action.
These trends align with industries most targeted by hackers. Attackers go where the money and data are.
Given this threat picture, organizations in all countries, not just these ten must bolster security. Key recommendations include:
Security checklist:
By combining these measures (see DeepStrike's continuous penetration testing service for ongoing validation), organizations can significantly reduce their risk profile even in highly targeted nations.
Cyber threats in 2026 are shifting rapidly, but one thing is clear, geography and politics matter. The US, Ukraine, Israel, Japan, UK, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, Germany, and Poland stand out as heavily targeted nations in the latest Microsoft, IBM X-Force, Radware, Acronis and CERT Polska data, each for its own mix of economic and geopolitical reasons. Yet the solutions are within reach. Organizations in these countries should double down on proven defenses, adopt Zero Trust architectures, keep systems patched, train staff, and continuously hunt for flaws. In practice, that means investing in tools and services like automated intrusion detection, threat intelligence, and penetration testing services to uncover hidden vulnerabilities before an attacker does.
If you're in one of these high risk regions or anywhere online, it's time to act. Consider engaging a penetration testing and red team partner to test your defenses. Rigorous security validation can reveal the weak links in your network and applications. The threats of 2026 demand more than just awareness, they require readiness. If you're looking to validate your security posture, identify hidden risks, or build a resilient defense strategy, DeepStrike, one of the top penetration testing companies, is here to help. Our team of seasoned practitioners provides clear, actionable guidance to protect your business.
Explore our Penetration Testing Services to see how we can uncover vulnerabilities before attackers do. Drop us a line we’re always ready to dive in.
Mohammed Khalil is a Cybersecurity Architect at DeepStrike, specializing in advanced penetration testing and offensive security operations. With certifications including CISSP, OSCP, and OSWE, he has led numerous red team engagements for Fortune 500 companies, focusing on cloud security, application vulnerabilities, and adversary emulation. His work involves dissecting complex attack chains and developing resilient defense strategies for clients in the finance, healthcare, and technology sectors.
It depends on the dataset. Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2026 ranks the U.S. (25.5%), Israel (7.6%), Ukraine (4.8%), Taiwan, the UK, the UAE, India, Japan, Canada and Germany as the top 10 countries by customer impact in January-June 2026. IBM X-Force's regional data for 2024 names Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the most impacted countries in the Middle East and Africa, and CERT Polska recorded 260,783 incidents in Poland in 2025. This guide profiles the USA, Ukraine, Israel, Japan, UK, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, Germany, and Poland. Factors include each country's online economy, regional conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East tensions, and critical infrastructure.
Large, wealthy nations have many online assets and data, making them lucrative for criminals and spies. Geopolitical factors amplify this: countries in active conflict or high-stakes regions (Ukraine, Israel, Poland, Saudi Arabia) attract cyberwarfare and hacktivism. Economically, top digital markets (the U.S., UK, Japan, India, Brazil, Germany) are hit simply due to their size; attacking one U.S. bank or tech firm can be very profitable. Attackers also exploit weaker security in rapidly digitizing economies like India or Brazil and high-value industries (e.g. financial services, energy). In short, a combination of wealth, connectivity, and political motives explains why these nations see so many attacks.
Phishing and social engineering remain top vectors. Criminals use spear phishing emails to steal credentials or install malware; IBM X-Force found nearly one in three incidents it handled in 2024 resulted in credential theft. Ransomware is also rampant: 28% of the malware cases IBM saw in 2024 were ransomware, with attackers encrypting files or threatening data leaks. DDoS attacks surged in conflict zones such as Israel and Ukraine; Radware found Web DDoS attacks rose 550% in 2024 and another 101% in 2025. Nation state groups additionally use stealthy tactics such as valid account logins and exploitation of unpatched software, which IBM found was the leading cause of incidents in 2025 (40%). New trends include AI driven attacks, deepfake phishing, automated exploit scanning and supply chain hacks via third party software. For in depth stats, see our DDoS attack statistics.
Greatly. Ongoing conflicts act as triggers for cyber warfare. For instance, the Russia-Ukraine war has made Ukraine a cyberwar frontline: Russia has launched waves of disruptive attacks (DDoS, wipers) aimed at Ukrainian critical services. Similarly, Israel's conflicts with Hamas and Iranian proxies have provoked retaliatory hacks by pro-Palestinian groups against Israeli infrastructure. Poland’s proximity to Ukraine and Russia has also drawn Russian cyber attacks, leading Polish officials to call it the most frequent target in the EU. Thus, countries entangled in geopolitical struggles see higher cyber threats due to state-sponsored campaigns and hacktivism.
Attackers prioritize high value sectors: Manufacturing (IP and supply chain), Finance and Insurance (monetary gain), Healthcare (sensitive data and urgency), Energy/Infrastructure (national impact), and Government. For example, IBM X-Force found manufacturing topped all industries with 26% of incidents in 2024 and 27.7% in 2025, with heavy ransomware and data theft. In conflict zones, utilities and public services are targeted to sow chaos. In tech advanced nations (US, Japan, Germany), aerospace and semiconductor firms also face espionage. In all, attackers chase the industries where they can extract money or critical information.
Key practices include strong cyber hygiene (patching, MFA, employee training), regular penetration testing, and cybersecurity frameworks (zero trust, threat intelligence sharing). Conducting periodic penetration testing services helps identify hidden flaws before attackers do. As attacks scale, many organizations adopt continuous security testing. Employing up-to-date EDR/XDR solutions and incident response planning is crucial. Cyber insurance can offset losses, and some insurers ask for evidence of such defenses (for example, recent penetration test reports) during underwriting. Ultimately, a layered approach combining technology, process, and people is needed to defend even the most targeted nations.
Attackers evolve constantly, so a single test can go stale as code and configurations change. Some rules require periodic testing: for example, PCI DSS requires penetration testing at least annually and after significant changes. The HIPAA Security Rule currently in force does not name penetration testing, and a proposed update that would require it has not been finalized. Continuous or more frequent testing helps keep coverage current between those cycles. Some insurers also ask for evidence of security testing, such as recent penetration test reports, during underwriting. By regularly challenging systems with fresh attack scenarios, including those aligned to MITRE ATT&CK, organizations can stay ahead of adversaries. Compare vulnerability assessment vs penetration testing to see why pentests offer deeper insights.
Absolutely. While much focus is on nation scale breaches, attackers also pursue small and mid sized businesses SMBs as easier targets. For instance, ransomware gangs and phishing schemes increasingly hit SMBs because many lack sophisticated defenses. Studies show rising phishing and credential theft against small firms see cyber attacks on small businesses. Given that a breach at a small supplier can cascade up a supply chain, even smaller entities in these top countries must harden their security as part of the overall ecosystem.
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