In Sardinia, businesses and individuals are increasingly under attack from cybercriminals. In the last year, these cybercrimes have grown by 4.3%, although they remain below the national average of 7.8%.
Between 2019 and 2023, however, growth was +34.6% , against an Italian average of +45.5%. In 2023, 3,508 complaints arrived from Sardinian entrepreneurs.
The data comes from the report produced by the Research Office of Confartigianato Imprese Sardegna on "Crimes reported on the Island by productive activities and citizens", analyzing ISTAT data from 2019 to 2023. Crimes related to business activities include theft, extortion, computer fraud and scams, computer crimes, counterfeiting of trademarks and industrial products, violation of intellectual property, receiving stolen goods, money laundering and use of money, goods or utilities of illicit origin, usury, damage and smuggling.
In detail, 91% of the crimes under examination are composed of computer fraud and scams (for example phishing and the alteration of the regular functioning of a computer or telematic system) and the remaining 9% are to unauthorized access, damage by computer equipment, devices or programs and unauthorized possession and/or distribution of access codes.
Total reports (companies and citizens) in Sardinia went from 5,950 in 2019 to 8,011 in 2023 , equivalent to 67 crimes per 10,000 people. The annual trend shows a +18.4% in 2019 compared to 2018, a +21% in 2020 on 2019, a collapse of -1.4% in 2022 on 2021 and a growth of +4.3% in 2023 on 2022, for a growth of +34.6% in the last 4 years. Among companies, there were 2,082 reports, 35% of the total, in 2019; 3,240, 45%, in 2020; 3,490, 44.8%, in 2021; 3,234, or 42.1%, in 2022; and 3,508, or 43.8%, in 2023, with a four-year variation of +8.8%.
Among the provinces, in the last year, in Cagliari 4,010 total reports were filed, with a growth of +9.4% compared to 2022, while those from companies were 43.3% equivalent to 1,736; those from Nuoro were 1,091, an increase of 6.2% compared to 2022 and those from companies were 51.4%, or 560. In Oristano, there were 494 reports, an increase of 3.8% compared to last year, with 55.4% from productive activities, therefore 272; in the Sassari-Gallura area, out of 2,404 reports, a decrease of 4% compared to 2022, only 996 (40.2%) came from companies.
"The growth trend remains constant and entrepreneurs cannot, and must not, lower their guard," says Fabio Mereu, Regional Vice President of Confartigianato Sardegna. "Protecting small businesses from cybercrime is a shared responsibility for everyone," he concludes, "we must work together with experts and Police Forces who deal with cybercrime to ensure that companies are able to thrive in a safe digital environment. Only through investment in cybersecurity, staff training and collaboration can we create an environment in which small businesses can grow without fear of being threatened by devastating attacks."
(Online Union)
