SonicWall has released new threat data through to the end of the third quarter of 2022. The company found that ransomware attacks have declined significantly globally.
After a record-breaking 2021, overall ransomware attacks have trended down in the first three quarters of 2022 - especially in the United States (-51 percent). However, attack locations have continued to shift, as ransomware attempts jumped in the UK (20 percent), EMEA (38 percent) and APJ - Asia Pacific and Japan- (56 percent) compared to the same time frame last year. Proprietary SonicWall threat intelligence also found that Q3 2022 was the lowest quarterly ransomware volume since Q3 2020. Even in decline, SonicWall recorded 338.4 million ransomware attempts since the beginning of the year.
It is easier than ever to perform ransomware attacks. With Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) offerings, even less technical cybercriminals can purchase ransomware kits on the dark web and target organizations with minimal experience.
Ransomware actors also are diversifying their business models and broadening their networks as demand for their services continues to grow, leading to an explosion in the variety of different tools and resources being offered via illicit marketplaces. According to SonicWall survey data, organizations are concerned with how easily ransomware attacks can be launched and 89 percent cited concern of financially motivated threats.
Cryptojacking, IoT malware volume continue upward trend
Hackers are increasingly targeting financial firms, such as banks and trading houses, with cyber attacks designed to maliciously use computer systems to illegally mine cryptocurrencies. Cryptojacking numbers jumped 35 percent globally so far in 2022, including a 377 percent spike in EMEA and 160 percent increase in APJ.
With more smart devices entering the digital space every day there is a growing need for Internet of things (IoT) security. IoT devices have multiple ways to connect to a network, offering multiple attack vectors to exploit. IoT malware climbed 92 percent globally, with 82 percent and 200 percent jumps in APJ and North America, respectively.
