ExtraHop’s Global Ransomware Trends: Predicting Attackers’ Next Victims report was recently released, revealing an increase in ransomware incidents. Security leaders confront ransomware events an average of eight times each year. This represents an average ransom payment of almost $2.5 million. The report also dives into data that emphasizes which organizations may be greater targets. 

The analyzed demographics include: 

• Location: Organizations in the United States may be at higher risk, as the country experienced the highest number of incidents. On the other hand, Germany experienced the lowest. 
• Sector: Healthcare, agriculture and government were the most targeted industries. 
• Size: Among organizations with 4,000 or more employees, over half reported 10 or more ransomware incidents. 

Mark Bowling, Chief Information Security and Risk Officer at ExtraHop, states, “Ransomware is targeting some organizations more than others, but despite this notion, everyone needs to be prepared to curtail exposure to the risks and damage posed by an incident. As ransomware continues to find ways to bypass and evade existing security controls, we can anticipate that these statistics will only grow more dire. Amid high-profile political elections and a growing call for regulatory action across the globe, it is time that the cybersecurity industry comes together to develop and adopt a more resilient security framework that can identify a ransomware attack before it devastates entire organizations, industries, and even economies.”