Between the massive WannaCry and NotPetya attacks of 2017, which reached businesses across the globe, ransomware is on the minds of many security professionals. Interest continues to increase as ransomware evolves into one of the most common forms of malware in existence.
Below, we’ve highlighted 12 impactful and relevant ransomware statistics that will open your eyes to just how critical the ransomware threat is today.
1. “Package delivery company FedEx Corp. said on Tuesday a June [NotPetya] attack on its Dutch unit slashed $300 million from its quarterly profit, and the company lowered its full-year earnings forecast. The company said the cyber attack slashed 79 cents per share from its profit—nearly 40 times the 2-cents-a-share impact from deadly Hurricane Harvey.”
Source: FedEx Goes Cyber Insurance Shopping After Profit Takes Hit from Attack | Insurance Journal
2. “Ransomware antivirus detections increased by 36% [in 2016] compared to 2015.”
Source: 2017 Internet Security Threat Report | Symantec
3. Researchers found that between July 2015 and July 2016, 133 healthcare organizations, 115 finance organizations, and 67 government organizations (including law enforcement groups and federal agencies) had ransomware on their corporate networks.
Source: The Rising Face Of Cybercrime: Ransomware | BitSight
4. Ransomware was the fifth most common form of malware in 2016. In 2014, it was only the 22nd most common form of malware.
Source: The 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report | Verizon
5. “One in five small and medium-sized business who paid the ransom never got their data back.”
Source: Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2016 | Kaspersky Lab
6. The average profit per victim for a ransomware author jumped from $294 in 2015 to $1,077 in 2017—a 266% increase.
Source: 2017 Internet Security Threat Report | Symantec
7. “[According to an Intermedia survey,] 72% of employees were locked out of their files [following a ransomware attack] for at least 2 days, and 32% were locked out for at least 5 days.”
Source: Crypto-Ransomware Survey | Intermedia
8. During a study between July 2015 and July 2016, researchers found that organizations in education had the highest rate of ransomware, with at least one in ten experiencing ransomware on their network.
Source: The Rising Face Of Cybercrime: Ransomware | BitSight
9. At the beginning of 2016, someone was attacked with ransomware every 20 seconds. By the end of September 2016, someone was attacked with ransomware every 10 seconds.
Source: Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2016 | Kaspersky Lab
10. The number of new ransomware families more than tripled from 2015 (30 new families) to 2016 (98 new families).
Source: 2017 Internet Security Threat Report | Symantec
11. The overall rate of ransomware more than tripled—and in some cases increased tenfold—for many industries between July 2015 and July 2016.
Source: The Rising Face Of Cybercrime: Ransomware | BitSight
12. “43% of IT consultants reported [via survey] a customer falling victim to ransomware in the last year.”
Source: Crypto-Ransomware Survey | Intermedia
Want more ransomware statistics and additional data?
Download this free BitSight Insights report today. It highlights how ransomware infections have grown, the industries that have exhibited the most ransomware infections, and how businesses can help to mitigate the threat of ransomware.
