Examining the Macro-Level Correlates of Malicious Software Infections

The increasing global connectivity afforded by the Internet has greatly expanded the number of prospective targets available to cybercriminals. In fact, cybercriminals have come to depend on malicious software to quickly compromise servers and sensitive on-line resources. Though a limited body of research has explored the factors that predict individual level risk of malware infection, few have identified the macro-level correlates of infection in an international sample. Thus, this study will examine the country-level social, economic, and infrastructure factors that affect the likelihood of malware attacks to improve our understanding of cybercrime in a global context.