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Ransomware flies to record breaking levels in 2021

Ransomware attacks during the first three quarters of 2021 have increased by over 148% when compared with the same period last year, bringing the total reported number to 470 million attacks so far. According to SonicWall, this makes 2021 the worst year on record.

Q3 2021 saw the largest number of ransomware attacks recorded by the vendor – at 190.4 million. This nearly exceeds the total number of ransomware attacks documented in all of the first three quarters of 2020 combined, at 195.7 million attempted attacks.

SonicWall have announced that they expect the total number of attempted ransomware attacks to hit around 714 million by the end of 2021, which would be a 134% increase from last year.

“As we see it, ransomware is on a nearly unimaginable upward trend, which poses a major risk to businesses, service providers, governments and everyday citizens,”

“The real-world damage caused by these attacks is beyond anecdotal at this point. It’s a serious national and global problem that has already taken a toll on businesses and governments everywhere. I’m hopeful that the recent global ransomware summit is the next step toward a greater response at global, national and state levels.”

Bill Conner – SonicWall, CEO

With ransomware becoming an ever increasing problem for businesses worldwide, has your organisation taken the necessary precautions to effectively mitigate this threat? Find out in our Free Click-Prone® Test today.

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