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20 April 2022, Philippines — According to new research released today by Unit 42 of Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), the global cybersecurity leader, ransomware payments set new records in 2021 as cybercriminals increasingly turned to Dark Web “leak sites” where they pressured victims to pay up by threatening to release sensitive data.

In 2021, the average ransom demand in instances handled by Unit 42 incident responders increased by 144% to $2.2 million, while the average payment increased by 78% to $541,010, according to The 2022 Unit 42 Ransomware Threat Report. The most affected industries were Professional and Legal Services, Construction, Wholesale and Retail, Healthcare, and Manufacturing. 

“Ransomware attacks disrupted everyday activities that people all over the world take for granted in 2021 – everything from buying groceries to buying gasoline for our cars to calling 911 in an emergency and getting medical care,” Jen Miller-Osborn, deputy director, Unit 42 Threat Intelligence, said.

In 2021, the Conti ransomware group was the most active, accounting for more than one in every five cases handled by Unit 42 consultants. With 7.1 percent, REvil, also known as Sodinokibi, came in second, followed by Hello Kitty and Phobos (4.8 percent each). Conti’s Dark Web leak site also listed the identities of 511 organizations, the largest of any group.

Conti 2.0, on the other hand, was the most responsible threat actor in the Asia Pacific region in 2021. In terms of industries, the majority of attacks targeted businesses in the professional and legal services, as well as manufacturing.

In 2021, the cyber extortion ecosystem flourished, with the creation of 35 new ransomware gangs, according to the research. It shows how criminal companies used their windfall earnings to create simple-to-use tools for attacks that increasingly rely on zero-day flaws.

According to Unit 42’s investigation, the number of victims whose data was uploaded on leak sites increased by 85 percent in 2021, to 2,566 companies. The Americas accounted for 60% of leak site victims, with Europe, the Middle East, and Africa accounting for 31% and Asia-Pacific accounting for 9%.

Detailed commentary, analysis, and breakdowns on activity by region, industry, and ransomware groups are available in the  2022 Unit 42 Ransomware Threat Report, which can be downloaded on the Palo Alto Networks Website. A summary of the report is available on the Unit 42 blog. 

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity leader, is shaping the cloud-centric future with technology that is transforming the way people and organizations operate. Our mission is to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life. We help address the world’s greatest security challenges with continuous innovation that seizes the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, analytics, automation, and orchestration. By delivering an integrated platform and empowering a growing ecosystem of partners, we are at the forefront of protecting tens of thousands of organizations across clouds, networks, and mobile devices. Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks and the Palo Alto Networks logo are trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names, or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. Any unreleased services or features (and any services or features not generally available to customers) referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available (or are not yet generally available to customers) and may not be delivered when expected or at all. Customers who purchase Palo Alto Networks applications should make their purchase decisions based on services and features currently generally available.

About Unit 42

Unit 42 brings together world-renowned threat researchers with an elite team of incident responders and security consultants to create an intelligence-driven, response-ready organization passionate about helping customers more proactively manage cyber risk. With a deeply rooted reputation for delivering industry-leading threat intelligence, Unit 42 has expanded its scope to provide state-of-the-art incident response and cyber risk management services. Our consultants serve as your trusted advisor to assess and test your security controls against the right threats, transform your security strategy with a threat-informed approach, and respond to incidents in record time. Visit paloaltonetworks.com/unit42

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