TechRadar reports that ransomware attacks soared to new heights in 2024, with the 48 newly emergent ransomware gangs last year — a 65% increase from 2023 — accounting for over half of intrusions in November and December.
Nearly half of all disclosed attacks last year were aimed at the healthcare, government, and education sectors, which recorded 20%, 15%, and 10% year-over-year growth in attack prevalence, respectively, according to an analysis from BlackFog. On the other hand, manufacturing, services, and technology organizations were most subjected by undisclosed intrusions. Additional findings revealed that LockBit and RansomHub were the most prolific ransomware gangs last year after compromising 603 and 586 organizations, respectively, during the entirety of 2024. Despite accounting for only 5% of disclosed attacks last year, Medusa was also regarded as a notable ransomware gang after seeking over $40 million in ransoms from its victims. "In this evolving threat landscape, proactive and preventative strategies to mitigate ransomware and data exfiltration have never been more crucial," said BlackFog founder and CEO Darren Williams.
