US hit with deluge of ransomware attacks in 2022

More than 200 larger government, educational, and healthcare entities across the U.S. have been compromised by ransomware attacks last year, BleepingComputer reports. Ransomware attacks against local governments increased from 77 in 2021 to 105 in 2022, at least 27 of which involved data theft, according to an Emsisoft report. Most of the increase has been attributed to an attack aimed at Miller County, Arkansas, which affected systems across 55 counties, while only Quincy, Massachusetts, paid the ransom demanded by its attackers. Meanwhile, 45 school districts and 44 universities and colleges have been disrupted by ransomware in 2022, with the Vice Society ransomware attack against the Los Angeles Unified School District being the most significant intrusion. The report also showed that ransom payment was done only by the Glenn County Office of Education. On the other hand, ransomware attacks have impacted 24 hospitals and multi-hospital health systems last year, which could have affected up to 289 hospitals. CommonSpirit Health was the most notable health provider targeted last year, compromising the data of 623,000 patients across over 140 hospitals.