A recent report published by Malwarebytes reveals that ransomware attacks on a global scale are at their peak. From July 2022 to June 2023, there has been a significant surge in these types of attacks, with the United States being the primary target. Approximately 1,462 attacks were recorded in the US, accounting for 43% of total cases, marking a 75% increase compared to the numbers from 2021-2022.
Germany, France, and the United Kingdom also experienced an increase in attacks, albeit at a slower pace than the US.
The research uncovers that 48 different ransomware groups have targeted businesses and governmental organizations. What’s concerning is that critical infrastructure in healthcare and education sectors is heavily impacted. Attacks in France have doubled, and the United Kingdom faced 200 attacks from 32 distinct groups. Last year, there was an average of one ransomware attack per month, while this year it has surged to eight attacks per month.
It’s worth noting that the Malwarebytes report is based solely on confirmed incidents, suggesting that the actual number of attacks might be much higher. This aligns with the purpose of malware attacks, which seek ransom to prevent the disclosure of information. Consequently, many victims do not report such incidents.
The current leading ransomware gang is Clop, which has evolved significantly over the past year, exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in software. Malwarebytes asserts that this shift from phishing emails and virus-containing file downloads to zero-day exploits signifies a change in the “game.”
