Ransomware Attacks Are Spiking. Is Your Company Prepared?
Summary.
Summary: These are unprecedented times in the world of cybersecurity, with ransomware attacks up 150% in 2020 and growing even faster in 2021. Most audit committees and senior management who have to make decisions around cyberattack say they never imagined they’d be in a discussion on whether and how much ransom to pay to hackers who are holding the company hostage. With good preparation and cybersecurity hygiene, and a plan in place, your company will reduce risk and be better prepared to deal with the unthinkable
With the migration to remote work over the last year, cyberattacks have increased exponentially. We saw more attacks of every kind, but the headline for 2020 was ransom attacks, which were up 150% over the previous year. The amount paid by victims of these attacks increased more than 300% in 2020.
Already 2021 has seen a dramatic increase in this activity, with high-profile ransom attacks against critical infrastructure, private companies, and municipalities grabbing headlines on a daily basis. The amount of ransom demanded also has significantly increased this year, with some demands reaching tens of millions of dollars. And the attacks have become more sophisticated, with threat actors seizing sensitive company data and holding it hostage for payment.
Who’s behind the recent surge in attacks? And how should companies respond to this increased threat? In this article, I’ll outline how ransomware attacks have evolved and what actions companies can take now to protect themselves.
