New Zealand has been named one of the 10 countries most vulnerable to cloud security breaches, according to a report by cloud security company Kloudle.
The report, which assessed global cloud security risks, placed New Zealand in the 10th spot, tied with Poland.
The rankings were determined using data from Microsoft, the International Telecommunication Union, and the e-Governance Academy, evaluating cybersecurity preparedness, exposure levels, and breach history.
New Zealand and Poland shared an identical overall risk score of 47.9, as reported by Cyber Daily.
However, the two nations differ significantly in other metrics. New Zealand scored higher on cybersecurity preparedness, with a rating of 92.5 compared to Poland’s 55. Meanwhile, its exposure score, which measures susceptibility to breaches, was lower at 17.9 compared to Poland’s 28.6.
Despite this, New Zealand reported 66.15 million cloud breaches over the last 20 years, far fewer than Poland’s 388.39 million.
At the top of the list, Mexico was identified as the most vulnerable nation, with an overall risk score of 89.6. Mexico also had a preparedness score of 38.3, an exposure score of 48.3, and an estimated 424.83 million breaches in the same time frame.
Other countries on the list include Chile, the UK, the Netherlands, and the US. The US experienced the highest number of breaches, with an estimated 17.56 billion incidents in the last two decades, according to Kloudle’s findings.
Kloudle’s founder and CEO, Akash Mahajan, highlighted the real-world consequences of cloud vulnerabilities in a statement accompanying the report.
“Imagine waking up to find your bank account drained, your identity stolen, or your private photos leaked online. These are the real-world consequences of cloud security breaches. The findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced cloud security measures across the globe,” he said, as reported by Cyber Daily.
Mahajan recommended that organisations take proactive steps to mitigate risk. Suggested measures include:
“By fostering a heightened sense of cyber awareness and investing in comprehensive security solutions, businesses can significantly reduce their risk of being victimised by cloud-based breaches and cyberattacks,” he said.