1Ransomware Increasingly Targets Businesses Instead of Consumers
In terms of impact and scale, 2017 is shaping up as a milestone year for ransomware, with multiple high-profile incidents including the WannaCry and NotPetya attacks. According to the Symantec Internet Security Special Report (ISTR) on Ransomware released Aug. 30, ransomware is on track this year to set new records for the number of infections. The 35-page report reveals that in the first six months of 2017, Symantec had already blocked 319,000 ransomware infections. Prior to this year, ransomware was mostly a consumer-facing problem representing 70 percent of reported infections. So far in 2017, it appears that cyber-criminals are shifting their aim, with 58 percent of ransomware infections impacting consumers and 42 percent hitting enterprises. In this slide show, eWEEK looks at some of the highlights of the Symantec ISTR Ransomware 2017 report.
2Ransomware Infections Growing in 2017
3Ransomware Families are Declining
4The Impact of WannaCry
5Enterprises in the Crosshairs
6Data Ransoms Currently Average $544
7U.S. is the Top Ransomware Target
8Americans Pay the Ransom
A study by Symantec’s Norton Cyber-Security Insight team found that 34 percent of ransomware victims globally pay the ransom demand. In the U.S., that figure rises to 64 percent of victims.