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SamSam hit 67 targets in 2018 with a focus on the U.S.

SamSam ransomware has cut a relatively wide swath across the world with at least 67 different, 54 in the U.S., targets being struck in 2018, according to a Symantec report.

Symantec researchers noted that despite such high-profile incidences such as Atlanta and the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Port of San Diego, the majority of victims, 24 percent, were in the healthcare field. The focus on healthcare may be due to the attacker’s impression that these will be easier targets, they cybergang behind SamSam does show a preference for easy hits, or that they are more likely to fork over the ransom.

Although city’s struck down by SamSam have garnered the majority of the press, public sector and municipalities only accounted for four percent of the attacks each. Manufacturing, utilities/energy, construction and insurance firms each garnered six percent of the strikes, while banking and finance were each hit seven percent of the time. Education and professional services five percent each, with the remaining 31 percent of the attacks not being classified.

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