It is now a very concrete threat that most companies have already been confronted with. Ransomware attacks, viruses that confiscate all data that is only unlocked after the payment of a ransom, are on the rise. Very often, companies have no choice but to comply if they want to be able to continue their activities. Here are 3 figures that allow us to better measure the extent of this phenomenon.
90% of businesses have been hit by ransomware this year
According to data from a study published by SpyCloud, 90% of businesses were hit by ransomware in 2022 to date. This represents a 24% year-over-year increase.
To arrive at this striking figure, the analysts interviewed no less than 300 IT professionals specialized in the field of cybersecurity. 500 other employees were surveyed in numerous companies to complete this survey.
50% of companies suffer repeated attacks
This is the other damning finding of this SpyCloud study. 50% of companies say they have been subject to repeated attacks. Similarly, 20% had to deplore between 6 and 10 hacking attempts. Finally 7.4% suffered more than 10 attacks. Only 22% of the companies affected only had to deplore a single hack.
We have also seen in the past that paying a ransom does not protect. On the contrary, cybercriminals then become aware of their strength and can target the same organization again to obtain even more money.
146 major attacks listed in France in 2021
In terms of ransomware, France is not a good student. Cyberint has thus listed the major attacks carried out in the world in 2021. Unsurprisingly, the United States is well ahead with 2845 cases. But surprise, it is France which ranks second in this not very glorious list with 146 attacks.
In an attempt to deal with this, the government has decided to set up an emergency number dedicated to cyberattacks. This new system, which can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, will allow anyone to report a malicious act. Without predicting the effectiveness of this measure, there are also some common sense initiatives to put in place within a company.
This is the case with regular data backup, while multi-factor authentication and staff awareness of the risks are two fundamental elements in countering this threat.
Has your employer been hit by ransomware this year, and if so, did they pay the ransom? Tell us in the comments.
