Ransomware attacks on the rise

Ransomware attacks have been reported by several cybersecurity firms to be on an upward trajectory over the past few months, SecurityWeek reports. More than 500 ransomware attacks were deployed in July, which was 153% higher than last year and 16% higher than the previous month, according to an NCC Group report, which attributed the significant increase in ransomware attack prevalence to the widespread Cl0p ransomware attack involving the exploitation of the MOVEit vulnerability. Meanwhile, a BlackFog report revealed that ransomware attack volumes last month were the highest over the past four Julys although most attacks remained undisclosed by victims. Moreover, organizations listed on ransomware leak sites were noted by a CyberMaxx study to have reached a record-high 1,400 during the second quarter, compared with 850 in the first quarter. On the other hand, ransomware victims were noted by a Guidepoint Security report to have decreased last month if Cl0p MOVEit hack victims are excluded, although active ransomware operations grew from 28 to 36 between June and July, while a SonicWall report showed a 41% year-over-year decline in ransomware delivery attempts for the first half of 2023.