Security News > 2022 > April > 2021 average ransoms paid by quarter was $167K, down 44.2%

In Q4, the rate of ransomware claims reached just half of the peak seen in Q1 2021 - decreasing from 0.6% to 0.3%. While the Q3 2021 average ransom paid was atypically high, the entire 2021 ransoms paid by quarter average was ~$167k, 44.2% less than the Q3 figure.

The percentage for the last quarter of 2021 held steady in the low twenties, down significantly from figures that once were over 50%. As recently as Q3 2020, the ratio was 44%. This decrease in cost and severity can be partially attributed to underwriting entities requiring stronger backups for insurance coverage, which is helping to drive the broader trend toward more sophisticated and resilient approaches to mitigating ransomware risk.

While these events were enough to significantly, but temporarily, impact the month-by-month ransomware claims rate, the overall average severity of claims declined.

While attacks have led to increased concerns over potential collateral damage, there was a 30% reduction in ransomware claims frequency from Q4 2021 to Q1 2022, highlighting the fractured ransomware threat ecosystem during a time of war.

The average claim reached nearly $400,000 within the professional services industry in Q4 2021, by far the highest in that timeframe.

Healthcare, which saw an alarmingly high average in claim severity to start the year, has returned to a historically low average, with zero ransomware claims recorded in Q4 2021.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/04/14/ransomware-claims-rate/