Security News > 2024 > May > Cybercriminals shift tactics to pressure more victims into paying ransoms

Ransomware didn't just grow in the US in 2023, it evolved, with the frequency of ransomware claims jumping 64% year-over-year, according to At-Bay.

Double leverage attacks - those using both data encryption and exfiltration - also grew by 51% in 2023, demonstrating that threat actors shifted their tactics to pressure more victims into paying ransoms.

Ransomware claims frequency as a whole jumped 64% year over year, primarily due to the explosion of "Indirect" ransomware claims whose frequency increased by 415%. Direct ransomware claims frequency increased by 17% in 2023.

Organizations using Cisco and Citrix self-managed VPNs were 11X more likely to fall victim to a direct ransomware attack than those using a cloud-managed VPN or no VPN at all.

Likely driven by more businesses successfully restoring from backups in the wake of an attack, the average cost of a direct ransomware attack decreased by 24% in 2023, to $370,000.

Of the 41 unique ransomware strains observed over 2023, LockBit and BlackCat/ALPHV were used in 35% of all direct ransomware attacks.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2024/05/20/ransomware-claims-frequency-grow/