According to research by security experts at Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, the average amount requested from ransomware attacks increased by nearly 144 percent to $2.2 million per event through 2021. The cat-and-mouse game between ransomware organizations and businesses continues to evolve. According to Brittany Barbehenn (manager preparation and assessment strategies It is very important for companies to get into the mindset of attackers to prevent future ransomware attacks.
In an interview with Hardware Info, Barbehenn says that ignoring security vulnerabilities in IT systems is one of the biggest problems among companies. “As companies move to hybrid work environments, they also need to adapt in terms of security measures. (…) We continue to see ransomware using zero-day and other vulnerabilities to break into an organization.”
Therefore, it will be important for companies to be familiar with the tactics and techniques used by hackers; this way security vulnerabilities can be avoided. Especially since malicious groups will work smarter: “We’ve seen more malware targeting specific companies over the past year. (…) The scripting languages used seem to be changing as well,” says Barbehenn.
The ransom demanded appears to be almost one and a half times higher on average in 2021 than the previous year. The average ransom actually paid has also increased tremendously: from $300,000 in 2020 to $541,000 last year. The ‘good news’, according to Palo Alto Networks, is that, on average, a victim must pay about 42 percent of the initial ransom demanded.
That doesn’t change the fact that exploitation can cause a lot of damage even without a large ransom. In 2021, information was published on 2,566 victims; That’s an 85 percent increase over 2020, according to the security company. Rogue hacker groups often share stolen pieces of information as evidence of intrusion into a company.
The Conti group is said to be responsible for 1 out of every 5 attacks in cases investigated by the security company. REvil, Hello Kitty, and Phobox were also responsible for the majority of ransomware attacks.
According to Palo Alto Networks, the threat of a cyber business trap continues to increase in the digital age, especially as the threshold decreases. For example, it would become progressively easier. ransomware as a service about to get. For example, third parties are hired to provide ransomware. “We encountered 35 new ransomware gangs last year.”
Source: Palo Alto Networks Unit 42
Source: Hardware Info
