As cyberthreats evolve, geographic restrictions are an effective way to reduce your organization's exposure. Blocking authentication and network traffic from countries with highly active threat actors can significantly lower risk.
Why block by country?
Recommendations below are based on three risk factors:
Nation-state attacks — countries engaged in cyber espionage, IP theft, and targeted intrusions
Cybercrime hubs — regions frequently associated with phishing, ransomware, fraud, and credential theft
Geopolitical risk — countries with strained US relations or active government sanctions
MSPs should regularly review threat intelligence and geopolitical developments to keep their blocked country list current. It's also important to balance security measures with legitimate business needs, ensuring trusted users in lower-risk regions retain access.
Recommended countries to block
The following countries are significant sources of cyberthreats due to state-sponsored activity, organized cybercrime, or geopolitical factors:
Country | Justification |
Russia | State-sponsored attacks, espionage, and organized ransomware groups |
China | Persistent cyber-espionage targeting intellectual property and sensitive data |
Iran | Sophisticated state-sponsored cyber operations |
North Korea | Financial cybercrime and cyber espionage |
Belarus | Associated with Russian threat groups and ransomware activity |
Ukraine | High levels of cybercrime and malicious infrastructure hosting |
Vietnam | Growing source of targeted cyberattacks and cybercrime |
Nigeria | Business Email Compromise (BEC), phishing, and financial fraud |
Pakistan | Active cybercrime community, including hacktivist and state-linked groups |
Brazil | Phishing, credential theft, and cyber fraud |
Indonesia | Increasingly active in cybercrime and malicious infrastructure hosting |
Turkey | Rising hacktivism, cybercrime, and DDoS attacks |
Venezuela | Growing cybercrime activity and malicious hosting infrastructure |
Resources for continuous monitoring