FAQs
U.S. average amount of ransom payments related to cyber attacks Q1 2022-Q4 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the average ransom payment for cyber attacks in the United States amounted to over 568 thousand U.S. dollars, down from nearly 850 thousand U.S. dollars in the third quarter of 2023.
What is the annual share of organizations affected by ransomware attacks worldwide from 2018 to 2023? ›
Businesses worldwide affected by ransomware 2018-2023
As of 2023, over 72 percent of businesses worldwide were affected by ransomware attacks. This figure represents an increase on the previous five years and was by far the highest figure reported.
How often is there a ransomware attack? ›
Unfortunately, even though $5.3 million is an insanely high number for a demand, many companies meet the demands of cybercriminals to protect their business from further damage or destruction. There are 1.7 million ransomware attacks every day, which means there are 19 ransomware attacks occurring every second.
What percentage of malware is ransomware? ›
What percentage of all current cyber attacks are classified as ransomware? 20% of all current cyber attacks are classified as ransomware. Ransomware accounted for a fifth of all cyber attacks in 2022.
How does ransomware work? ›
Ransomware is a type of malware which prevents you from accessing your device and the data stored on it, usually by encrypting your files. A criminal group will then demand a ransom in exchange for decryption.
Did change healthcare pay ransom? ›
The healthcare giant did confirm on Monday that it had paid a ransom to the hackers that breached Change's systems in Februrary, according to a report from Wired. Analysts had identified payment logs that pointed to a payout valued at about $22 million in Bitcoin to the BlackCat hacking group.
What makes us more susceptible to ransomware? ›
Using unknown computers and network connections to access company networks. Not using anti-malware, anti-phishing, and anti-virus programs. Using USB hardware devices whose source you don't know. Downloading pirated software.
What is the average ransomware payout? ›
The Sophos State of Ransomware 2023 report, a survey of 3,000 IT decision makers from mid-sized organizations in 14 countries, found the average ransom payment was $1.54 million.
What is the largest ransom ever paid ransomware? ›
In 2021, the largest ransomware payout was made by an insurance company for $40 million, setting a world record (Business Insider, 2021). The highest ransomware payment demand ever is $70 million. (NetApp, 2022)
What percentage of ransomware attacks are paid? ›
By the numbers: 29% of organizations paid a ransom in the last quarter of 2023 to get their stolen data back and unlock their systems during a cyberattack, according to Coveware's report, released Friday.
Through the first three quarters of 2023, the report found an 83% YoY increase in ransomware victims. According to the report, the manufacturing and technology industries were the first and second most impacted by ransomware, followed by retail & wholesale as the third most impacted.
Which country has the most ransomware attacks? ›
In 2022, the number of ransomware attacks in the United States amounted to around 217.5 million, making it the most targeted country worldwide. The United Kingdom (UK) ranked second, with over 71 million ransomware attacks, while Spain followed, encountering approximately 53 million ransomware cases.
What is the number one threat to ransomware? ›
The world's most harmful ransomware
LockBit first emerged at the end of 2019, first calling itself 'ABCD' ransomware. Since then, it has grown rapidly and in 2022 it became the most deployed ransomware variant across the world.
What are the statistics of ransomware? ›
Ransomware was involved in 21% of reported breaches in the three quarters of 2020. The total ransom amount paid increased by 311% in 2020, reaching nearly $350 million. The number of organisations that paid ransoms has also increased significantly. Ransom-paying organisations increased from 26% in 2020 to 32% in 2021.
How do ransomware hackers get paid? ›
For example, a hacker might launch a ransomware attack on a large corporation, stealing and encrypting thousands of files. The attack will conclude with demands for the company to pay a ransom, usually in cryptocurrency, or else the hacker will release, delete or sell the stolen data.
Can ransomware spread through WiFi? ›
Yes, ransomware can move through wifi networks to infect computers. Ransomware attacks that sleuth through wifi can disrupt entire networks, leading to severe business consequences. Malicious code that translates to ransomware can also spread across different wifi networks, operating as a computer worm does.
What percentage of all current cyber attacks are classified as ransomware? ›
According to the IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2023, ransomware attacks represented 17 percent of all cyberattacks in 2022. The earliest ransomware attacks simply demanded a ransom in exchange for the encryption key needed to regain access to the affected data or use of the infected device.
What are the statistics of malware? ›
2022 saw an 87% year-on-year increase in the number of malware attacks targeting Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices (112.3 million attacks globally). 22. In 2022, the finance sector saw a 252% year-on-year increase in the volume of IoT malware attacks—the most significant increase of any industry sector.
How common are cyber attacks on businesses? ›
46% of all cyber breaches impact businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees. 2. 61% of SMBs were the target of a Cyberattack in 2021.
What is the history of ransomware? ›
The first ransomware attack dates back to 1989, long before cyber attackers launched the earliest email phishing scams. The most famous ransomware attacks in history demonstrate how these attacks evolved from a clunky floppy disk scam to complex double extortion attacks.