Singapore has ranked first globally in cybersecurity and online privacy knowledge, up from third place last year, according to NordVPN‘s 2026 National Privacy Test.

The open-access test drew 23,181 participants from 167 countries, who answered 24 questions covering everyday digital habits, privacy awareness and digital risks. Singapore topped the ranking with a score of 52 out of 100, ahead of Poland (51) and Germany and Finland, which tied for third with 50.

Strong on basics, weaker on newer tools

Almost all Singaporean participants, 97 per cent, know how to create a strong password, and 97 per cent understand what content they make visible to social media followers. But the results reveal a gap when it comes to practical privacy protection: only 8 per cent correctly identified the full set of tools that can help protect their online privacy, and just 8 per cent understand how to manage data shared through app permissions.

Singaporean participants scored above the global average on newer digital threats, with 57 per cent correctly identifying key indicators of deepfake content and 81 per cent recognising AI-powered scams. Awareness of infostealers was lower, with only 46 per cent aware of what information this type of malware can steal, such as passwords and browser cookies.

“Digital safety is no longer just about knowing the rules. As AI makes scams more convincing and data collection less visible, people need to judge what information a service really needs, whether content can be trusted, and what protection a privacy tool actually provides. The next stage of cyber literacy is not simply recognising threats, but knowing when something that looks normal deserves a second check,” said Marijus Briedis, Chief Technology Officer at NordVPN.

NordVPN’s advice for closing the gap

NordVPN is recommending a handful of practical steps: using a password manager rather than storing passwords in browsers or notes, enabling multi-factor authentication on important accounts, understanding what different privacy tools actually protect against, reviewing app permissions regularly, being cautious on public Wi-Fi, and avoiding entering sensitive information into AI tools unless it is clearly permitted.