2021 was often referred to as the year of ransomware because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up impacting many if not most businesses in the world. In spite of the fact that this is the case, 2022 has seen a significant decrease in the number of cyber attacks that are being conducted using ransomware. According to Intel 471, ransomware attacks in the first quarter of 2022 numbered at around 589, whereas by the third quarter of 2022 they registered a 23% decline to reach 455 total attacks.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that there are still some forms of ransomware that are doing a lot of damage. About 42% of all reported incidents in Q3 2022 came from the ransomware strain known as LockBit 3.0. Black Basta was used in 11% of reported cases, with Hive coming in third at 9% with all things having been considered and taken into account.
All in all, there are around 27 different ransomware variants that might be used although four of them represent almost two thirds of all attacks. The report also showed which countries were facing the brunt of these ransomware assaults. It turns out that LockBit 3.0 is divided evenly between Europe and North America, but the other three are more likely to target the US and Canada than might have been the case otherwise.
These signs all seem to be pointing to a decreased and diminished presence of ransomware attacks, with malicious actors shifting to other methods that might be easier. Corporations have managed to successfully mitigate the efficacy of these attacks by using a combination of external hard disk data storage as well as improved security protocols.
However, this doesn’t mean that ransomware is gone for good. It is still alive and well, and if security infrastructure becomes too lax ransomware might see a resurgence in 2023. Everyone has to stay on their toes to keep the threat of ransomware as well as various other forms of malware at bay.
Read next: Investment Scams on the Rise As Americans Lose $2.7 Billion in 2022 Alone
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that there are still some forms of ransomware that are doing a lot of damage. About 42% of all reported incidents in Q3 2022 came from the ransomware strain known as LockBit 3.0. Black Basta was used in 11% of reported cases, with Hive coming in third at 9% with all things having been considered and taken into account.
All in all, there are around 27 different ransomware variants that might be used although four of them represent almost two thirds of all attacks. The report also showed which countries were facing the brunt of these ransomware assaults. It turns out that LockBit 3.0 is divided evenly between Europe and North America, but the other three are more likely to target the US and Canada than might have been the case otherwise.
These signs all seem to be pointing to a decreased and diminished presence of ransomware attacks, with malicious actors shifting to other methods that might be easier. Corporations have managed to successfully mitigate the efficacy of these attacks by using a combination of external hard disk data storage as well as improved security protocols.
However, this doesn’t mean that ransomware is gone for good. It is still alive and well, and if security infrastructure becomes too lax ransomware might see a resurgence in 2023. Everyone has to stay on their toes to keep the threat of ransomware as well as various other forms of malware at bay.
Read next: Investment Scams on the Rise As Americans Lose $2.7 Billion in 2022 Alone
