Ransomware has become one of the most devastating cyber threats of modern times, leading to severe financial and operational challenges for organizations across all sectors. As cybercriminals continue to refine their strategies using increasingly sophisticated tools, understanding key trends, targeted industries, and the financial impact is vital for mitigating these risks effectively.
Recognizing this, the Cyentia Institute, a data-driven cybersecurity research firm, has released its Information Risk Insights Study on Ransomware. This comprehensive report explores the frequency and impact of ransomware events, utilizing a vast dataset encompassing more than 14,000 ransomware incidents, which translate to over a billion records and estimated financial losses exceeding $270 billion over the past five years.
Below, we will explore some major points uncovered in this report.
The study differentiates between ransomware attacks, which are thwarted attempts, and ransomware incidents, which are successful breaches leading to operational or financial harm. This distinction helps ensure that findings emphasize the genuine impact of ransomware incidents—not just attempted breaches.
While many businesses experience numerous ransomware attack attempts, only a small percentage result in successful incidents. These successful breaches, however, carry outsize financial and operational effects:
The economic damages caused by ransomware are astounding. The estimated global impact over the past five years stands at $276 billion, with a projected $95 billion in 2023 alone. These figures starkly illustrate ransomware’s potential to cause economic destruction on par with natural disasters.
Certain sectors bear an outsized share of financial repercussions from ransomware attacks. The data shows that ransomware accounts for the majority of cyber-related losses in industries where operational disruptions are particularly costly:
Midsize entities ($100M–$1B in revenue) experience the highest proportional ransomware losses, while large corporations ($100B+) face significantly less proportional impact, with ransomware representing less than 1% of their losses.
The report compiles the most frequently identified ransomware incidents between 2019 and 2023, showcasing the continued activity of specific ransomware gangs. Noteworthy names include:
This dataset arises from publicly reported events and reflects the impact on individual entities rather than campaign volumes or detected malware counts.
The report recommends utilizing resources from StopRansomware.gov for effective prevention, mitigation, and response strategies. Further, initiatives like CISA’s Secure by Design promote secure software development practices to curb vulnerabilities and boost cyber resilience.
Ransomware poses a major business risk with potential ramifications for reputation, compliance, and financial stability. As threat actors continue developing their approaches, organizations must remain vigilant, using insights from data to enhance defenses and response strategies.
Collaboration among industries, government agencies, and cybersecurity entities will be crucial in reducing ransomware’s impact and fostering resilience in our increasingly digital world.