There were more than 4 billion malware attempts globally in Q3, while year-to-date ransomware attempts in 2022 have already exceeded full-year totals from four of the last five years. However, ransomware levels in the United States are trending down, with a decrease of 51% of ransomware attack volume compared to 2021 levels.
In the recent 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Mindset Survey, 91% of organizations reported that they are most concerned about ransomware attacks, indicating a rise of anxiety among security professionals. After a record-breaking 2021, overall ransomware attacks have trended down in the first three quarters of 2022 — especially in the United States (-51%). However, attack locations have continued to shift, as ransomware attempts jumped in the U.K. (20%), EMEA (38%) and APJ (56%) compared to the same time frame last year.