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What is Ransomware trends and statistics for 2020

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Rosella Zed
What is Ransomware trends and statistics for 2020

Even the simplest form of ransomware, constantly evolving as an attack tool, can cost a lot of time and money, but the most serious attacks can cause a fatal blow and even destroy a business entirely. Unprepared users and businesses can quickly lose valuable data and money to these attacks. This is especially dangerous in times of economic uncertainty, as individuals and businesses seek to manage and mitigate their risks while planning.

 

There is no easy victory in the war against cyber extortion, and the only way to deal with this threat is to have the correct information first: understand how ransomware works, who it targets, how it works. me .

 

The average ransom payment has nearly doubled over the years, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down. Remember, hackers tend to replicate successful attacks and keep targeting victims. Regardless of the final actions of the cybercriminal, the true cost of ransomware goes beyond profit.

 

The digital blackmail of hackers ultimately causes more monetary damage than hackers could suffer from an attack. Both results are extremely costly for a company, especially a larger one with hundreds of employees. Significant downtime can cost millions of dollars in lost revenue. Worse, it also leads to a drop in consumer confidence, especially in cultures that value their relationships with the organizations with which they are associated, which will also hurt future business. Even countries with access to cutting-edge security technologies and increased awareness of cyber threats can succumb to this digital blackmail.

 

As you can see, more than half of companies in the United States reported being attacked by ransomware in the last year. Governments are the target because a successful attack will kill many lives and increase the chances that the ransom will be paid. For example, the city of Atlanta was shut down for 5 days after an attack shut down nearly 8,000 computers. Even after the ransom was paid, work took weeks to resume as usual. Government organizations remain vulnerable to incidents due to their persistent reluctance to cybersecurity compared to the private sector.

 

Although email is known to be the main infection method for all types of cyberattacks, people are still the victims of malicious social engineering, infecting entire systems with dangerous ransomware.

 

Lack of training in basic cybersecurity practices such as reuse of weak passwords, lack of proper access management, and general lack of user awareness are the causes of ransomware infection.

 

85% of Managed Service Providers (MSP) say that the Windows operating system is most frequently affected by ransomware attacks. The reason? Windows computers tend to be cheaper, which is why more people use them. There are also enough users who do not install the necessary updates for their operating systems and do not use patches to protect against these viruses. This makes them an easy target for bad actors online.

 

However, that doesn't mean that macOS, Android, and iOS are immune. Remember, a business and its systems only need one device.

 

Mac users are no longer sure: Threat detection on Mac devices more than doubled between 2018 and 2019, and the increase is expected to continue. The increasing popularity of these devices at a higher cost than the competition also makes them a potentially more profitable target for the right cybercriminal. Popular software as a service (SaaS) applications are also targeted by ransomware. A study of various service providers found that Dropbox, Office 365, G Suite, Box, and Salesforce have been the victims of ransomware attacks.

 

The ransomware won't go away anytime soon.

 

Data loss is a serious problem that affects both individuals and businesses. The best defense against ransomware is for users to learn what it is, how it infects a computer, and what to do when it occurs.

 

The most effective tool against any type of malware is, of course, an up-to-date antivirus program. Check out our cheap and best antivirus software reviews to find out which one is the most effective against ransomware.

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Rosella Zed
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