In 2021, ransomware attacks saw a sustained increase , according to figures released by the security firm SonicWall. In its latest Cyber Threat Report, they reported 623,3 million ransomware attacks globally last year.
This figure represents a 105% increase compared to 2020, effectively doubling ransomware attacks. And compared to 2019, the figures show a 232% increase. Ransomware no longer affects only a few unfortunate individuals ; home NAS users can now fall victim to ransomware, and the attacks were so severe and widespread that they were a major topic on HBO's Last Week Tonight with Johnny-Kohn Oliver.
Ransomware attacks continue to grow
Bill Conner, president and CEO of SonicWall, commented that cyberattacks are becoming more attractive as our reliance on technology for data storage increases. Ransomware attackers have targeted government institutions , healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and retail industries. All of these sectors have experienced significant spikes in the number of attacks.
Dmitriy Ayrapetov, Vice President of Platform Architecture at SonicWall, described these attacks as "a surge in activity." Furthermore, ransomware is proving more effective than traditional malware, suggesting that ransomware numbers could increase even further this year.
Cryptojacking has also seen a significant increase , rising 19% globally to 97,1 million attacks. This is the highest single-year figure since cryptojacking attacks began being tracked. This number may not seem very high because mining cryptocurrencies by installing malicious code is becoming less attractive and riskier due to the tedious process and the ever-increasing difficulty of mining.
In the case of objects with Internet of Things (normal things to which you put internet access) it rose 6% year-on-year, with a total of 60,1 million attacks. But it was a much smaller increase, which is also making it less interesting to hack someone else's fridges, dishwashers and thermostats with malware.
Source: TechRadar
