Impact of Ransomware
Most organizations have experienced a ransomware attack — a third have been hit twice or more.
Just under three-quarters of the organizations surveyed reported at least one successful ransomware attack in the past 12 months. Over a third of the organizations surveyed reported two or more successful ransomware attacks in the same time period.
Repeat victims are more likely to pay the ransom.
42% of organizations that experienced three or more attacks paid the ransom to restore encrypted data. In comparison, only 31% of organizations hit with just one successful ransomware attack paid.
Email is the most common starting point for ransomware attacks.
For 69% of organizations, ransomware attacks started with a malicious email. Sending an email is much simpler than penetrating an organization's network. Often, attackers use phishing to steal login credentials and then use compromised accounts as a launchpad for ransomware attacks.
Organizations with cyber insurance are more likely to be hit by ransomware.
63% of surveyed organizations have invested in cybersecurity insurance to help them mimize costs associated with any kind of data breach. But it could make them more likely to be targeted by attackers. 77% of organizations with cyber insurance were hit by a successful ransomware attack, compared to 65% without cyber insurance.
Many organizations feel they're not prepared to deal with ransomware.
Over a quarter (27%) of the organizations surveyed say they are not fully prepared to deal with a ransomware attack. This is an improvement from an earlier study conducted in 2019 when almost half (44%) said they were unprepared for a ransomware attack.
