International Differences in Windows Remote Desktop Hacking: An Analysis of Honeypot Data

Abstract

This study investigates international differences in hacking attempts using honeypot data. By analyzing 504,877 login attempts from 314 unique IP addresses over a 3-month period, the research aims to understand how socio-economic factors influence cybercriminal behavior. We consider prior international work on cybercrime to develop hypotheses regarding opportunity, which predict that countries with higher unemployment and poverty rates, as well as lower GDP and education expenditures, will exhibit more frequent hacking attempts. We found that higher unemployment rates and lower education expenditures correlate with an increase in the mean number of breach attempts per country. Lower education expenditures also correlate with higher success rates of breach attempts. No significant relationship was found between GDP or population below the poverty line and hacking behavior. This study highlights the role of socio-economic conditions in shaping cybercriminal activities, demonstrating that cybercrime does not occur in a vacuum but is influenced by the broader geopolitical context.