PRESS RELEASE
With a staggering 5263 assaults, 2024 noticed the very best quantity of ransomware assaults noticed since 2021, in keeping with a brand new report from cybersecurity consulting agency, NCC Group.
In a turbulent yr for the cyber panorama, with high-impact assaults on refined nation-state espionage campaigns, assault quantity continued to rise.
LockBit stays prime menace actor regardless of takedown
The notorious menace group LockBit was the highest actor of 2024, accounting for 10% (526) of all assaults. Nonetheless, it’s general exercise declined in comparison with 2023, with LockBit’s takedown earlier in 2024.
RansomHub adopted intently behind. Accountable for 501 assaults, it grew to become essentially the most dominant menace actor within the second half of the yr.
Uptick in most areas
North America skilled over half of all assaults in 2024 (55%). General, most areas witnessed an increase in assaults, together with Asia, South America, and Oceania. Rising world geopolitical tensions and excessive payouts for ransomware assaults are prone to have attributed to extend throughout areas.
Industrials stays a prime goal
With its essential function within the world economic system, Industrials skilled 27% (1424) of all ransomware assaults in 2024, growing 15% from 2023. Assaults within the sector have triggered mass disruption, affecting important infrastructure and companies and inflicting materials downtime.
Legislation enforcement whack-a-mole
There are some encouraging indicators that the worldwide neighborhood has stepped up efforts to recognise and deal with the threats posed by cyber adversaries. Notable examples embody coordinated regulation enforcement actions in opposition to cybercriminal networks comparable to Operations Cronos, Magnus, Destabilise, and Serengeti.
Regardless of brief time period regulation enforcement crack downs, menace actors continued to emerge shortly after intervention – LockBit was working once more solely 5 days after its takedown. And with warnings from the group that will probably be again in full power by February 2025, it’s evident that governments and regulation enforcement must do extra to forestall the reemergence of those teams.
Matt Hull, world head of Menace Intelligence at NCC Group mentioned: “The cyber safety panorama in 2024 introduced unprecedented challenges. The size and complexity of cyber incidents examined the resilience of companies and establishments globally. Trying forward, these challenges are set to escalate as cyber criminals and nation-state actors more and more exploit the rising integration of expertise into all features of life.
“Key considerations comparable to third-party compromises, cloud vulnerabilities, and insecure APIs stay important. We can also’t ignore the fast advances in synthetic intelligence (AI) which are giving rise to new cybercriminal ways. And the geopolitical dimension of cyber safety provides to the ever-changing menace panorama, with nation-states posing important dangers to important infrastructure.
“Within the face of those challenges, companies, governments, and people should keep vigilant and proactive. By understanding the dangers and performing right this moment, we are able to collectively work in direction of a safer digital future.”
