Determinants of Cybercrime Originating within a Nation: A Cross-country Study

Cybercrimes have an adverse impact on the reputation and economy of a nation. This paper investigates the factors that affect the frequency of cybercrime originating within a country. These factors were grouped into three categories, namely, economic capital, technological capital, and cybersecurity preparedness. On analyzing the data from 124 countries, it emerges that the economic capital and technological capital of a country are the primary factors that influence the frequency of cybercrime originating within it. Technological capital also partially mediates the relationship between economic capital and the frequency of cybercrime originating within the nation. Furthermore, the cybersecurity preparedness of a nation negatively moderates the relationship between technological capital and frequency of cybercrime originating within it. The findings have significant implications for policymakers at the national level and managers at the organizational level concerning cybersecurity preparedness. They should focus on both hard (legal, technical, organizational) and soft (training and co-operational) aspects of cybersecurity preparation to minimize the incidence of cybercrime within a nation.