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The study found Vermont stands at the forefront with a score of 83.41%, showing they’re the most anxious state about digital safety. The Green Mountain State’s top searched term related to cybersecurity was ’how to avoid online scams’.

Vermont isn’t the only state seeking protection. Coming second on the list is Alaska scoring 69.35%, with ’antivirus software’ and ’firewalls’ as the most searched terms.

While having the nation’s smallest population, Wyoming showed a strong interest in cybersecurity. With 242 searches per 100K people, they secured the third spot on the list.

This high search volume reflected in a score of 63.47%, suggests that protecting personal information on the internet is a significant concern for many in Wyoming.

Ranking fourth is Hawaii, with a score of 59.29%. The highest searched terms are ’website security scanner’ and ’how to protect my data’ showing that people are focused on securing their online activities and personal information.

Rhode Island rounds out the top five with a score of 57.86%. Little Rhody has a big anxiety in cybersecurity, with 22.8 monthly searches per 100K people. The highest searched term is ’how to avoid online scams’ suggesting a strong desire for effective methods to kick the scams.

Delaware is in sixth place, scoring 57.18%. Delawareans also show a significant concern about cybersecurity, as reflected in their search volumes, with 2,370 monthly searches. The most commonly searched terms are: ’how to check if a website is safe’ and ’how to check if a link is safe’.

North Dakota fell just short of Delaware, ranking seventh on the list with a score of 54%. The state’s most searched terms are around phishing, such as ’how to report a phishing email’ and ’how to spot phishing emails’.

Completing the top 10 are New Hampshire (49.84%), Maine (41.15%), and Montana (40.36%). These states are also among the most worried in the nation about cybersecurity, showing a strong interest in protecting their digital information.

While some states seem so worried about cybersecurity, others remain highly calm. Alabama (5.81%), Louisiana (7.09%), and Kentucky (7.36%) show a lower concern about protecting their online data.

Here is the full list of the most worried states about cybersecurity:

Rank

State

Search Index

1

Vermont

83.41

2

Alaska

69.35

3

Wyoming

63.47

4

Hawaii

59.29

5

Rhode Island

57.86

6

Delaware

57.18

7

North Dakota

54.00

8

New Hampshire

49.84

9

Maine

41.15

10

Montana

40.36

11

South Dakota

39.42

12

Nevada

39.27

13

Colorado

35.78

14

California

35.33

15

Washington

33.88

16

Oregon

33.41

17

New York

31.23

18

Utah

30.66

19

Arizona

29.23

20

Maryland

27.52

21

Virginia

26.28

22

Nebraska

26.25

23

Illinois

26.18

24

Massachusetts

25.27

25

New Mexico

25.02

26

Connecticut

24.95

27

Kansas

23.77

28

West Virginia

20.83

29

New Jersey

20.02

30

Georgia

18.88

31

Idaho

18.70

32

Minnesota

16.84

33

Missouri

16.31

34

North Carolina

15.63

35

Michigan

14.90

36

Florida

13.61

37

Arkansas

12.34

38

Texas

12.27

39

Wisconsin

11.80

40

Mississippi

11.58

41

Iowa

11.58

42

Ohio

11.38

43

Indiana

10.60

44

South Carolina

9.82

45

Pennsylvania

8.99

46

Tennessee

8.72

47

Oklahoma

8.31

48

Kentucky

7.36

49

Louisiana

7.09

50

Alabama

5.81

Methodology

The team analyzed over 5,000 search terms for each state to determine which ones are most worried about cybersecurity. The study focused on specific keywords and phrases searched on Google, such as ’online security tips,’ ’how to avoid online scams,’ ’how to protect my data,’ ’website security checker,’ ’how to secure my email from hackers,’ ’how to report a phishing email,’ and ’how to spot phishing emails.’

The team then calculated the total number of searches for each state per 100,000 people and created an index score for each state, ranging from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the highest level of concern.