Each U.S. State ranked in their savviness regarding cybersecurity
Today, technology, surfing the WWW and life on the Internet has an impact on almost every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Basic knowledge and a keen interest in the field of cybersecurity is a must for individuals and businesses to make sure we’re practicing safe computing – especially when we’re working and playing online. A newly released study reveals which states are searching for valuable information on cybersecurity-related topics.
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Related, see:
Tech safety tips available during October’s ‘Cybersecurity Awareness Month’
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Interestingly, some U.S. states display a keener interest in cybersecurity and online safety than others. Patch management software company NinjaOne analyzed Google search data for a collection of cybersecurity keywords for each state, then compared this with each state’s population to find which state searches the most for cybersecurity-related topics.
Below, see the Top 10 States showing an interest in cybersecurity, followed by where each of the 50 states fall in the rankings.
1. Virginia
Virginia tops the list of states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics, with an average of 654.78 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. Overall, Virginians made an average of 56,858 monthly searches for cybersecurity-related topics.
Overall, scams were the cybersecurity-related topic that took Virginians’ interest the most, with scams and related terms generating an average of 12,128 searches each month. A scam happens when an attacker deceives their target into giving money for something which was not as advertised or did not fulfil the role it was advertised to fulfil. As digital devices have become more and more common, scammers have created scams to prey on this area, with a particular focus on targeting vulnerable individuals like seniors who may not be as savvy about these types of digital scams.
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2. Maryland
Second for the states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics is Maryland, with an average of 625.04 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. Marylanders made an overall average of 38,532 monthly searches for cybersecurity-related topics.
A cyber-security topic that ranked highly for Marylanders was phishing, with phishing and its related terms generating an average of 5,025 monthly searches overall. Phishing is a type of cyberattack where scammers attempt to trick users into doing the “wrong thing” in simple terms. This may be clicking a link to download malware or inputting login details to a fraudulent website, to name two examples.
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3. Massachusetts
In third for the states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics is Massachusetts, with an average of 586.7 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. The Bay State made an average of 40,963 monthly searches for cybersecurity-related topics.
Bay Staters made an average of 12,245 monthly searches for antivirus software, firewalls, and related topics. This interest in ways to protect against cyberattacks is especially prudent since effective antivirus software helps prevent users from making costly mistakes, as well as helping to clean up any malware that may have been accidentally installed.
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4. Georgia
With an average of 576.6 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, Georgia is fourth for the state searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics. Georgians searched cybersecurity topics an average of 62,924 times monthly overall.
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5. Florida
Florida is fifth for the states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics, with an average of 576.56 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. Floridians made an average of 128,254 monthly searches for cybersecurity-related topics overall.
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6. New York
New York is sixth for the states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics, with an average of 576.07 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. New Yorkers searched cybersecurity-related topics an average of 113,355 each month overall.
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7. Colorado
Sitting seventh for the states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics is Colorado, with an average of 575.85 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. The Centennial State made an average of 33,629 monthly searches for cybersecurity-related topics overall.
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8. Kansas
With an average of 575.84 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, Kansas is eighth for the states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics. Kansans searched an average of 16,913 times each month for cybersecurity-related topics.
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9. Washington
Washington is ninth for the states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics, with an average of 572.7 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. Washingtonians made an overall average of 44,589 monthly searches for cybersecurity-related topics.
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10. Hawaii
Rounding out the top ten in tenth for the states searching the most for cybersecurity-related topics is Hawaii, with an average of 572.55 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. The Aloha State made an average of 8,246 monthly searches overall for cybersecurity-related topics.
A spokesperson for NinjaOne commented on the findings:
“Data is one of the most valuable commodities in our interconnected world, and it pays dividends to keep it safe with proper cybersecurity practices.
“Keeping software up to date by patching security vulnerabilities and ensuring sensitive data is only accessible to those who need it are two ways to minimize the risk of costly cyberattacks.
“Keeping abreast of what is happening in the world of cybersecurity can also provide crucial insights on cybersecurity best practices. Virginia seems to agree with this, as they are the state that has the highest number of cybersecurity-related searches per 100,000 residents.”
Below, see the rankings for all 50 states:
| Rank | State | Cybersecurity-related searches per 100k residents | Total State Searches per month | Population |
| 1 | Virginia | 654.78 | 56,858 | 8,683,619 |
| 2 | Maryland | 625.04 | 38,532 | 6,164,660 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 586.7 | 40,963 | 6,981,974 |
| 4 | Georgia | 576.6 | 62,924 | 10,912,876 |
| 5 | Florida | 576.56 | 128,254 | 22,244,823 |
| 6 | New York | 576.07 | 113,355 | 19,677,151 |
| 7 | Colorado | 575.85 | 33,629 | 5,839,926 |
| 8 | Kansas | 575.84 | 16,913 | 2,937,150 |
| 9 | Washington | 572.7 | 44,589 | 7,785,786 |
| 10 | Hawaii | 572.55 | 8,246 | 1,440,196 |
| 11 | Oregon | 562.8 | 23,863 | 4,240,137 |
| 12 | Delaware | 560.28 | 5,706 | 1,018,396 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 556.01 | 59,487 | 10,698,973 |
| 14 | New Jersey | 555.75 | 51,472 | 9,261,699 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 546.33 | 7,622 | 1,395,231 |
| 16 | Nevada | 546.22 | 17,358 | 3,177,772 |
| 17 | Illinois | 543.16 | 68,341 | 12,582,032 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 531.21 | 3,088 | 581,381 |
| 19 | Arizona | 527.77 | 38,840 | 7,359,197 |
| 20 | Texas | 524.58 | 157,528 | 30,029,572 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | 522.94 | 67,836 | 12,972,008 |
| 22 | Connecticut | 518.88 | 18,816 | 3,626,205 |
| 23 | California | 518.09 | 202,208 | 39,029,342 |
| 24 | South Carolina | 514.91 | 27,201 | 5,282,634 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | 513.99 | 5,622 | 1,093,734 |
| 26 | Maine | 512.15 | 7,095 | 1,385,340 |
| 27 | Vermont | 511.54 | 3,310 | 647,064 |
| 28 | Kentucky | 510.84 | 23,051 | 4,512,310 |
| 29 | Ohio | 510.35 | 59,997 | 11,756,058 |
| 30 | Missouri | 502.5 | 31,044 | 6,177,957 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | 499.42 | 29,428 | 5,892,539 |
| 32 | Tennessee | 499.03 | 35,188 | 7,051,339 |
| 33 | Utah | 496.83 | 16,797 | 3,380,800 |
| 34 | Minnesota | 490.74 | 28,057 | 5,717,184 |
| 35 | Michigan | 482.02 | 48,367 | 10,034,113 |
| 36 | Alabama | 473.15 | 24,009 | 5,074,296 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 472.71 | 9,302 | 1,967,923 |
| 38 | Indiana | 467.74 | 31,961 | 6,833,037 |
| 39 | North Dakota | 456.84 | 3,560 | 779,261 |
| 40 | Iowa | 446.88 | 14,303 | 3,200,517 |
| 41 | Idaho | 444.81 | 8,625 | 1,939,033 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | 441.27 | 17,738 | 4,019,800 |
| 43 | Montana | 439.5 | 4,935 | 1,122,867 |
| 44 | New Mexico | 438.64 | 9,270 | 2,113,344 |
| 45 | South Dakota | 434.15 | 3,950 | 909,824 |
| 46 | West Virginia | 434.14 | 7,707 | 1,775,156 |
| 47 | Arkansas | 427.14 | 13,009 | 3,045,637 |
| 48 | Louisiana | 423.4 | 19,435 | 4,590,241 |
| 49 | Alaska | 417.02 | 3,059 | 733,583 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 386.25 | 11,356 | 2,940,057 |
Methodology: 120 search terms were collected relating to cybersecurity, then search volumes were collected for these terms for each state. These were then added together to get the total state searches per month. The state total values were divided by each state’s population to find the values per 100,000 residents.
(Sources: NonjaOne via Google Keyword Planner) / (Cover photo, Image credit: Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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