Ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly common, with a large range of organizations and businesses falling victim to these data-encrypting malware attacks. While some ransomware attacks are extremely targeted and thoroughly planned by cybercriminals, others are more opportunistic in nature. What percentage of ransomware attacks are targeted vs. opportunistic?
According to a current report from Symantec, roughly 1 in 5 ransomware attacks are targeted, while the remaining 4 out of 5 are opportunistic. important source This implies that while a little minority of ransomware attacks are performed versus specific companies or people, the huge bulk are random attacks that make the most of vulnerabilities in systems and networks.
Targeted ransomware attacks are typically a lot more harmful than opportunistic attacks, as they are frequently carried out by more knowledgeable and sophisticated cybercriminals. Furthermore, targeted attacks are often more hard to prevent, as they are typically customized to make use of specific weaknesses in a target organization's systems.
While opportunistic ransomware attacks can be harmful, they are generally less disruptive and pricey than targeted attacks. In addition, opportunistic attacks are frequently more quickly spotted and avoided, as they often count on known vulnerabilities that can be covered.
Organizations and individuals can assist protect themselves from both targeted and opportunistic ransomware attacks by keeping up to date on security spots, using strong security software, and backing up data regularly.