Cybersecurity in countries formerly occupied by the Soviet Union

​​The invasion of Ukraine has sparked global concerns regarding the rise of Russian cyberattacks. However, countries that reclaimed independence from the USSR, including Ukraine, have long been combating this persistent threat¹. This study focuses on the cybersecurity indexes of countries formerly occupied by the Soviet Union, examining their cybersecurity readiness and comparing them to those of Western countries.

Key insights

• Amongst the countries formerly occupied by the Soviet Union, the Baltic States and Ukraine lead in cybersecurity. Lithuania and Estonia share the first place with a cybersecurity index of 93.5, while Latvia and Ukraine share the third place (75.3).
• The Baltic states and Ukraine lead not only among the countries that were occupied by the USSR but also among the rest of the Western countries. The average cybersecurity index of the Western countries, excluding countries formerly occupied by the Soviet Union, falls slightly behind Latvia and Ukraine, with a value of 74.8.
• Amongst the Western countries, Belgium is the only country that has a better cybersecurity index (94.8) than Lithuania or Estonia. While Canada, Australia, and the U.S. are falling behind by more than 20%.
• Threats to democracy and independence may be contributing to increased cybersecurity. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 5 countries that were formerly occupied by the Soviet Union saw an increase in the cybersecurity index: Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Moldova, and Estonia.

Methodology and sources

This study is based on the cybersecurity indexes published by NCSI (National Cyber Security Index). The organization rates countries based on a comprehensive set of criteria. NCSI identifies the threats a country faces and the capacities of the security measures it takes, selects important measurable aspects, and then develops and groups security indicators. Data was collected May 23rd, 2023.

We acknowledge that Russia was not formerly occupied, but the invader herself during the times of the Soviet Union. Considering Ukraine’s invasion and Russia’s expansionist threat to its neighbours, we left Russia in the chart to show how prepared both sides are in the unfortunate case of a cyber war.

Data was collected from:

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