Which Countries Are AI Hackers Targeting Most? New Study Reveals

Dil Bar Irshad | March 11, 2026 | 05:56 AM IST | Cybersecurity, Featured by VoM, World | Follow on Google News

Which Countries Are AI Hackers Targeting Most? New Study Reveals

Indonesia ranks #1 among the most attractive countries for AI cybercriminals, according to the March 2026 report on IT security measures around the world. Check Point, a company dedicated to cybersecurity, evaluated over 35 countries by their national security measures, digital development, and cyber threat exposure.

• Indonesia is the least secure country against cyberattacks, with almost half of the digital systems (49%) being exposed to hacking.
• With the slowest digital infrastructure development, Venezuela ranks among the top 5 high-risk countries.
• Guatemala has the least-developed national cybersecurity programs, twice less efficient as Mexico’s or Kuwait’s.

The study looked at 38 countries, making assessments based on three key criteria: national cybersecurity measures, digital development, and cyber threat exposure. The national cybersecurity index considers protective measures, response capabilities, and resilience to hacker attacks. Digital development, as a factor, includes infrastructure and access to digital services, which highlight how attractive these countries can be as targets.Cybersecurity threat level was calculated as % of exposure to the Botnet (device infection), Infostealer (personal information theft), banking trojans, ransomware, and mobile attacks.

Here’s how the top 10 countries rank:

You can check how other countries rank against AI cybercriminals by following this link.

1. Indonesia

• National cybersecurity index: 48
• Digital development index: 67
• Cyber threat exposure: 49%
• AI cybercriminal attractiveness score: 95/100

Indonesia is the country most susceptible to AI cyberattacks, with almost half of the digital systems (49%) exposed to hacking. Botnet threats, like device infections, are the biggest risk for the country, being responsible for 1 in 5 cybercrime issues. While Indonesia scores a bit higher on digital development than other countries in the top 10, it still works against its cybersecurity, since the infrastructure is widespread, but lacks sufficient defences against criminals.

2. Mexico

In second place is Mexico, where 29% of all digital infrastructure is at risk of cyberattack. Similar to Indonesia, hackers who use viruses to infect the hardware are the biggest threat, creating issues for one in ten of all digital systems in the country. Another 8.4% of online frameworks are poorly protected from ransomware. The lack of national security measures against hackers, with an index of only 38, reflects how vulnerable Mexico is to cybercriminals who use AI.

3. Kuwait

Kuwait earns the third spot, with the similar levels of national security measures as Mexico. Digital development matches up, too, but almost 20% of online infrastructure can be easily hijacked by hackers. Almost all of this danger comes from cybercriminals who use infected hardware to launch their attacks (16.3%), and the banking trojans are the second most-common threat in the country.

4. Venezuela

Venezuela is open to large cybersecurity breaches, too. It records the slowest digital development in the top 10, getting an index of 45, almost 20 points behind Kuwait and Mexico. The lack of cybersecurity leaves almost 20% of digital frameworks open to attacks. The infectious malware is the biggest threat, but cybercriminals who are using banking trojans can also affect 5% of all digital infrastructure in the country.

5. Guatemala

In fifth place is Guatemala, with the worst national cybersecurity among the high-ranking countries, scoring only 19. This is two times lower than Mexico and Kuwait, and the country is less affected by cybercriminals, only due to the slow development of the digital economy. Around 8% of the online systems are primary threats for hackers, but any major expansion of the online infrastructure would put a target on Guatemala’s systems.

An AI expert from Check Point commented on the study:

“Botnets are the main cyberweapon across the most vulnerable countries, and AI has made them almost fully autonomous. What once required coordinated teams of skilled hackers now runs on autopilot. AI agents handle reconnaissance, launch infections, and adapt to defences in real time, compressing multi-day operations into minutes. Countries like Indonesia, with wide device networks and a cybersecurity index that hasn’t kept pace, aren’t just exposed, but they’re essentially an open training ground for AI-driven attacks.”

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.