The Cyber Helpline Officially Expands Support to Victims of Cybercrime in the USA
The Cyber Helpline Completes Successful 2023 Pilot Program & Expands Support to Victims of Cybercrime in the USA
Pilot program analysis reveals significant demand and positive impact on victims in need.
The Cyber Helpline is proud to announce the successful completion of its pilot program in the USA, demonstrating our organization’s commitment to expanding support for cybercrime victims in North America.
Launched in 2023, the initiative aimed to assess the feasibility of extending operations to meet the growing demand for victim support in the USA, for attacks such as cyberstalking, intimate image abuse, hacked accounts, online harassment, online banking scams, webcam blackmail, and more.
“Since we started the helpline, individuals and families from the USA have asked us for help, but we were 100% focused on the UK. This pilot has helped us discover that demand is high in the USA and that our model of cyber victim support is a good fit.”
This news follows the growing interest and support from the cybersecurity industry and the urgent demand from victims of cybercrime seeking assistance. The year leading up to the pilot program highlighted the significant need for The Cyber Helpline's services in the USA, with 62,000 website visits accounting for over 20% of overall website traffic.
During the USA pilot, the team enabled the chatbot and Helpdesk support for residents. The Cyber Helpline’s chatbot recorded a total of 3,235 cases, constituting 19% of all cases worldwide. The program saw a substantial increase in service demand with the addition of USA victims.
The Helpdesk team, which relies on cybersecurity volunteer experts giving personalized support to victims, has been operational since September 28th, 2023, and has handled 239 cases so far.
Key Findings:
In comparison to UK stats, the pilot’s report reveals a higher representation of female users in the USA.
As far as attack types, cyberstalking and harassment are high in both territories. However, intimate image abuse appears to be more common in the USA, and reports of hacked virtual currency accounts are more prevalent.
In terms of demographics, age ranges utilizing the chatbot in the USA show users most likely aged 40-66. In comparison, UK users are often slightly younger, most commonly aged 25-39, sharing a joint age group with the worldwide demographics.
Government bodies and businesses expressed enthusiasm about The Cyber Helpline's launch in the USA. With the pilot being funded by Axis, SecureIT360 and Arete, The Cyber Helpline has been able to establish a partnership with ExpressVPN and Kroll, and is in active conversation with the various law enforcement agencies in the country.
Another key finding revealed the lack of advocacy and victim support available for those impacted by stalking compared to the UK. Support and encouragement from charities in this space have been extremely positive.
The pilot program's analysis provides key insights that will shape the future of The Cyber Helpline's efforts in the USA.
Please see more about our USA pilot here.
Meet our USA Advisory Committee here.
About The Cyber Helpline:
The Cyber Helpline is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to providing support and assistance to cybercrime victims. With a successful track record in the UK, the organization addresses the urgent needs of victims and collaborates with government organizations and industry leaders to combat cyber threats.
For more information, please navigate our website.