ThreatLabz Ransomware Report: Unveiling a $75M Ransom Payout Amid Rising Attacks

The ThreatLabz team tracks ransomware activity extensively to identify and understand how these threats are evolving. The following subset of findings highlight some of the most prominent trends and targets.

Top ransomware trends

1. The number of extorted companies based on analysis of malicious data leak sites grew by 57.8% year-over-year, despite law enforcement actions that include criminal arrests, indictments, and seized infrastructure. The report breaks down the most significant law enforcement operations against ransomware groups and initial access brokers over the past year.

2. The use of voice-based social engineering to gain entry into networks is on the rise-a technique made popular by Scattered Spider and the Qakbot threat group.

3. The exploitation of vulnerabilities continues to be a prevalent attack vector for ransomware, emphasizing the critical need for measures like prompt patching and unified vulnerability management, reinforced by a zero trust architecture.

Top ransomware targets

4. The manufacturing, healthcare, and technology sectors were the top targets of ransomware attacks between April 2023 and April 2024, while the energy sector experienced a 527.27% year-over-year spike.

5. The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and France were the top five countries targeted by ransomware in the same time period.

Delve into these findings and more data in the full report.

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