PROVIDENCE – The Providence-New Bedford metropolitan area was named in the top five of America’s most cyber-insecure metros list, according to a report issued Tuesday by cybersecurity company Coronet.
The report, “Cybersecurity in the City: Ranking America’s Most Insecure Metros,” used rankings based on a threat index score, a combination of each of the 55 metros’ device vulnerability score and infrastructure vulnerability score, calculated using data originating from Wi-Fi and cellular networks, devices within all operating systems and public network infrastructure between December 2017 and April 2018.
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The threat index score, which uses a risk range of 0-10 (in which 10 represents the highest risk), also accounts for additional vulnerabilities used by adversaries to gain access to and steal data. The company considered any score above 6.5 an unacceptable level of risk.
The Providence metro scored a 9. The study found that 10 percent of devices in the area have no password and that there is a 40 percent probability of users in the metro area connecting to either medium-risk or high-risk networks. The report also singled out the health care industry as a “vast attack surface” in the state due to the value of medical data and patient records.
The report was developed to help both the mid-market and small businesses better comprehend cyber risk in their areas of operation.
“The Cybersecurity in the City: Ranking America’s Most Insecure Metros report emphasizes just how expansive both the vulnerability and threat landscapes have gotten in the U.S.,” said Guy Moskowitz, Coronet founder and CEO, in a statement. “While big companies may have the budgets, personnel and resources to protect their assets reasonably well, mid-market and small businesses are mostly left to fend for themselves. This is both unfortunate and a recipe for disaster.”
Las Vegas ranked No. 1 for the least cyber-secure metro in the country, followed by Memphis, Tenn., and Charlotte, N.C.
Richmond-Petersburg, Va., was determined to be the most cyber-secure metropolitan area in the study.
Haley Hunt is a PBN contributing writer.
