Report: 90% of firms affected by ransomware in 2022

An annual SpyCloud survey discovered that 90% of organizations had been impacted by ransomware over the previous twelve months, an alarming improve from final 12 months’s 72.5%.

To compile the 2022 Ransomware Protection Report, SpyCloud requested over 300 people in energetic IT safety roles at U.S., UK and Canadian organizations with at the very least 500 staff to judge the specter of ransomware, in addition to their firms’ cyber readiness, over the previous 12 months.

Their insights present that whereas firms have activated to strengthen their cybersecurity postures throughout the board in mild of the elevated risk of ransomware, criminals have gotten extra subtle, leveraging gaps in safety to perpetrate assaults.

Regardless of elevated funding in cybersecurity, over the previous 12 months, the relentless tide of ransomware continued to disrupt operations and put organizations’ information in danger. Furthermore, organizations had been extra possible than final 12 months to be impacted greater than as soon as: 50% had been hit at the very least twice, 20.3% had been hit between 6 and 10 occasions and seven.4% had been attacked greater than 10 occasions.

The rising prevalence of repeat assaults is a sign that fashionable strategies comparable to information backups –– which respondents noticed as their most vital ransomware countermeasure –– nonetheless depart delicate information uncovered. As soon as an assault has occurred, retrieving misplaced information doesn’t stop attackers from sharing it on the darkish internet, permitting criminals to make use of it for future nefarious actions, together with their subsequent assault.

Malware hits safety protection gaps

Malware preparedness additionally represents a serious hole in organizations’ defenses. IT safety groups face a near-total lack of visibility into malware infections on unmanaged gadgets used to entry work purposes or accounts. In line with 87% of respondents, experiences of credential-stealing malware comparable to RedLine Stealer have elevated the give attention to unmanaged private gadgets as a possible entry level for ransomware.

Their issues are well-founded: Malware infections are extra frequent than firms might understand. By way of evaluation of botnet logs recaptured this 12 months alone, SpyCloud researchers recognized over 6 million malware-infected gadgets with software credentials siphoned.

Whereas the report indicated organizations are making strides towards higher prevention –– people who carried out or plan to implement multifactor authentication almost doubled to 96% from 56% final 12 months –– the report’s findings present that closing key gaps round uncovered information and malware is crucial to creating a dent within the struggle towards ransomware.

Learn the full report from SpyCloud.