Cybersecurity in Europe vs. US: Only 7% of North American Firms Score A for Security

Cybersecurity in Europe and the US compared

Despite the rising frequency of cyberattacks, many companies still lack adequate security measures. According to the Cybernews Business Digital Index, 65% of North American companies scored D or worse in their cybersecurity efforts, compared to 48% of European companies.

The analysis highlights major differences in cybersecurity performance between North American and European organizations. Just 7% of North American companies achieved an A rating for top-tier cybersecurity, while only 8% received a B. In contrast, Europe has shown some progress, with 13% of companies scoring A and 20% earning B ratings.

Europe’s performance varies by industry. Technology companies fared better, with 40% achieving A or B grades, though 45% still received D or F ratings. Conversely, the financial sector scored worse, with only 35% of financial institutions earning A or B grades and 46% receiving D or F.

In North America, financial companies performed better at cybersecurity than healthcare organizations. However, healthcare entities struggled, with just 3% earning an A score, compared to 9% of financial firms. Yet, concerningly, the majority of North American healthcare organizations (45%) received F ratings.

Data breaches remain a common issue. The Cybernews Business Digital Index found that 34% of European companies and 32% of North American organizations reported recent breaches. Common vulnerabilities include Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) misconfigurations, with over 50,000 issues identified in European companies and more than 150,000 found in North American firms.

Corporate credentials are a significant area of risk. North American firms lost over 430,000 corporate credentials — nearly eight times the number lost by European companies (56,000). In addition, European companies have over 2000 critical vulnerabilities, while North American firms report nearly 8000 critical risks.

Employee behaviors compound these risks. About 30% of European employees and 29% of North American workers reuse breached passwords, making it easier for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities.

The Cybernews Business Digital Index analyzed 1,182 financial and healthcare companies worldwide to gather these insights. The index serves both to help businesses identify weaknesses in their cybersecurity infrastructure and to give users insight into the digital security practices of companies they rely on.