Ransomware attacks have been terrorizing businesses of all sizes and industries worldwide. According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, ransomware hackers stole over 30 terabytes of personal and other sensitive data throughout more than 300 attacks in 2022.
A growing threat
The data is based on the report of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) Threat Landscape for Ransomware Attacks, July 2022 edition. The research analyzed 623 ransomware incidents across the EU, the United Kingdom, and the United States for a reporting period from May 2021 to June 2022.
In January, ransomware hackers stole 5 TB of personal data. One of the first attacks of 2022 targeted Bernalillo County in New Mexico. The ransomware paralyzed several county departments and government offices. The attack even took a jail offline as it knocked the security cameras and automatic doors.
Ransomware attacks in February locked out businesses out of 7 more TB of data. In February, the largest semiconductor chip company Nvidia suffered a major ransomware attack. Hackers from the group Lapsus$ claimed they stole 1 TB in exfiltrated company data and demanded a $1 million ransom.
Ransomware hackers stole 16 TB of personal data during March, the most out of all months. An automotive parts manufacturer, DENSO, which supplies brands such as Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and others, experienced a ransomware attack against their corporate network in Germany. As a result, the Pandora ransomware gang leaked 1.4 TB of files.
In April, ransomware hackers locked 3 more TB of data. While during May, the total amount of stolen personal data through ransomware attacks accumulated to 34 TB and remained the same until the end of June.
Ransomware remains dangerous
While some hackers might have taken a summer break, the ransomware threat continues to loom. Throughout the first half of 2022, businesses suffered 320 ransomware incidents. The attacks’ trend continued increasing at the start of the year until it significantly declined in May and June.
In January, businesses reported 25 ransomware incidents. Next month, ransomware attacks skyrocketed by 116% to 54 incidents. Hackers performed 92 attacks against companies in March, bringing the total incident count in the first quarter of 2022 to 171.
The second quarter started with 113 total ransomware attacks in April, the most so far. Despite that, businesses suffered 32 incidents in May, about 72% less than the previous month. Throughout June, hackers attacked businesses with ransomware just 4 times.
In reality, the total number of ransomware attacks could be even more significant. Many companies lack transparency when it comes to reporting ransomware incidents. They are afraid it will ruin their image, and customers will lose trust in the brand.
Ransomware has become more efficient and devastating in its attacks. Businesses should be prepared for their most confidential information to be taken and potentially exposed or sold on the internet. To mitigate the impact of ransomware attacks, companies must build resilience and report the cases to competent authorities.