Top 14 Countries with the Best Hackers in the World: Hackers can easily be misunderstood as criminals because of the saga around the idea of hacking. Hacking is an interesting part of computer operations that has to do with gaining and supplying information or data, and while there are different and milder forms of hacking, the major type of hacking is the `Security Hacking’.

This type of hacking covers`persons who use their knowledge or expertise in computer operations to gain access to systems or to surpass security walls in the internet’. The core of hacking is ‘gaining access‘. Some hackers do it for pleasure or financial gain. Some others are just politically motivated.

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The major categories of hackers are;

a. Black Hat: Black hackers are experts at breaking into security systems illegally, for purely financial motives.  They attend to whoever pays the highest or provides the most remuneration. They operate mostly on the dark web, and their activities are ruled as criminal acts in most countries.

Being a black hat hacker is extremely dangerous, not only because they could be used by governments to carry out certain devious objectives, but because they have been severely punished or killed in the past; when those governments were overthrown.

b. White Hat: This category is the opposite of the black hat hacking. These hackers operate entirely on the legal side of operations. They do not cross legal lines into criminal acts. Computer enthusiasts are encouraged to get into white hat hacking.

White hat hackers can be found in research institutions, tech firms and computer analytics industries.

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c. Grey Hat: Grey hat hacking is the middle ground between white hat hacking and black hat. Most gray hat hackers do what they do for the sheer satisfaction of achieving results and hitting their targets.

Occasionally, they get some financial remuneration, and sometimes, they don’t. They just love the thrill that comes with hacking. Furthermore, they know how to operate legally or illegally, so whatever side they decide to operate on would depend entirely on how they feel at the relevant time. For this list, we take a look at ten countries where hackers have shown excellence or pure genius by cracking famous security systems over the years.

Let’s start at the very bottom of the list and work our way up.

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Top 14 Countries With The Most Dangerous Hackers

14. Iran: Iran has been a prominent hotspot of hacker activity as of 2022. Why? The majority of hacking appear to be state-based attempts to obstruct western interests. According to a 2020 AFR article, “Iran’s cyber troops have long been among the world’s most capable and aggressive, disrupting banking, hacking oil companies, even attempting to take control of a dam from a distance, say experts on the country’s capabilities.”

However, they typically stop short of the most crippling possible actions. Iran’s state-run cyberattack efforts will continue to be a challenge for western states and western countries.

13. Vietnam: Vietnam has become home to the largest hacking community since 2019. Why? According to a DarkReading, “The one-party government of Vietnam has pledged to pursue rapid economic expansion and has been funding the advancement of homegrown technologies. According to IntSights, there has been an upsurge in cyber espionage activity directed against multinationals as the nation looks for ways to gain an advantage over regional economic powerhouses like China, Japan, and South Korea.” The government’s new cyber offensive unit, Force 47, which has 10,000 members, has been cracking down on communities like the Hacker Vietnam Association (HVA), a Vietnamese hacking website that had a variety of topics, including hacking, carding, and other topics to help hackers flourish, ever since the Vietnamese Internet Censorship Law was put in place.

It appears that the hacking community is upset with Force 47’s heavy handedness because other websites have appeared to replace it. It appears like a confrontation between these organizations will continue to simmer. Hacking gangs are also becoming more active, specifically targeting Westerners to steal information from their bank accounts, bitcoin wallets, and other juicy data.

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12. Germany: Germany has risen to the top in terms of hacker activity since 2019. According to a 2019 Euronews report, German hackers have begun concentrating on vital infrastructure including power grids and water sources. However, there is another development: the rise of young hackers or hacktivists who use hacking to make political comments.

A 20-year-old man who told authorities he was responsible for one of the worst breaches in the nation, which resulted in the data of over 1000 prominent figures being exposed, is an example of this. Given the high number of bored youths in lockdown since 2020, such activities have probably increased. Similar to Poland, this increase might only be transitory, and the Europol cyber crime unit might take action to stop it.

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11. Poland: The Polish, who were not among the top 10 in 2013 or 2016, have gained prominence and are now classified as one of the country where hackers originate in 2022. How come? As Poland has been under communism for more than 50 years, internet access has been more accessible, more accessible in terms of price, and more accessible in terms of technology.

Computers were extremely difficult to obtain and expensive in Poland in the early 1990s, but as the country’s economy began to recover from Communism, it gave children access to computers. As those children have grown up and newer generations have entered the country, just like in Russia, hacking has become a means of supplemental income for some of the young people.

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10. South Korea: The tenth spot has two countries battling for it, with South Korea slightly ahead with a contribution of 1.4%. The hacking in South Korea is mostly industry-based and for tech purposes.

Taiwan perhaps deserves an honorable mention with a contribution that is slightly shy of 1.4% as well. We see this country as capable of a higher placement in the coming year, considering how fast the number of hackers there is growing.

9. Taiwan: Even though this small island close to China contributes a 3.7 percent to the total hacking traffic, and should be higher on the list, but their hackers have not really done any major world hacking.

However, it is still impressive to see how much they have managed to accomplish with their very little population.

8. Italy: At number nine, we have the small country of Italy. This country, with its small population, debuted in the world list with a massive traffic contribution of about 1.4%.

The hackers here are infamous for hacking government system and revealing to the public; information they consider endangering. Some like to refer to them as hackers with a `savior’s complex’.

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7. India: At number 7, we have one of the most populated countries in the world. India is world-famous for several things, and it looks like excellent hacking might just be one of such things.

With a speedily increasing number of hackers, they might be in the top five in the next year. Now, they contribute to about 2.3% of hacking traffic.

6. Romania: In Romania, there is a place known as Ramnicu Valcea; a hub for hackers. This location is involved, one way or another, with the majority of activities related to hacking and cybercrime. This is mostly why Romania is on our list in the first place.

5. Brazil: In 2021, Brazil is not only recognized for recently hosting the world Olympics, they are also known in the entire south for their cashless economy.

The latter has afforded them many advantages in commerce, but it has also made Brazil fertile for hacking. All a hacker needs to do is break into a financial system to access mass funds.

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4. Russia: Hackers in Russia are probably the most notorious on our list. This is especially because of the level of cybercrime they have been involved in, rather than the amount.

Take for instance; the DNC saga, which has caused a lot of controversy and fear in the minds of American politicians. They make up to 4.1% of the total hacking traffic in the world. After the Unites States, Russia is probably the next when it comes to using hacking as an arsenal.

3. Turkey: We have Turkey at third place. We are impressed with how far Turkey has come in cybercrime. Even though the growth pace for hackers only gained momentum in the last decade, now making up for 4.5% of hacking activity globally.

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2. United States: The United States arguably has the best cyber arsenal in the world. This is due to the sophistication of their operations evident in past attacks by the United States.

This is probably not a surprise, considering the status of the U.S. government economically and in warfare. In the past, this government has launched several Trojans to disrupt the making of missiles, especially by the Iranian government. With an almost 10% contribution to hacking traffic, they apparently have the majority of the best hackers in the world.

1. China: The giant of Asia, is right at the top of our list. The reason is that this country is responsible for about 41% of global hacking traffic. A reason why this is so is that the Chinese government is interested in advancing young Chinese citizens in the area of cybersecurity.

There are grants, rewards, and incentives given by the government for anyone who shows excellence in the field. Sadly, like a double-edged sword, it has birthed certain disadvantages. The rate of cyber crime in China is at an all-time high. Many criminals have been punished for gaining access to one security system or another. The real challenge for the Chinese government now is using all that hacking expertise as an arsenal for its enemies.

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In conclusion, we must bear in mind that not all hacking is bad and hackers are not necessarily bad people. They are normal people, albeit with absolute dedication to their computers, with an ever-surging curiosity for new information across systems. Moreover, any country can make a debut in the top ten anytime. All it takes is for the hackers there to raise the bar for themselves.

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.