UK ransomware attacks surged 80% in latest quarter
Check Point's findings show that hackers continue to take advantage of mass remote working


Ransomware attacks in the UK increased by 80% in the last three months as hackers continue to take advantage of mass remote working, according to security researchers at Check Point.
The findings show that the daily global average of ransomware attacks jumped 50% in last 3 months, compared to first half of 2020.
Countries with the most notable increase in ransomware attacks were the US (98.1%), where the most often targeted sector was healthcare, as well as Germany (145%), Spain (160%), and Sri Lanka, which saw attacks skyrocketed by 436%.
Canon hit by suspected Maze ransomware attack The most popular ransomware strains targeting UK businesses IBM: Ransomware incidents "exploded" in June
The most often used ransomware strains in the last three months were found to be Maze and Ryuk. According to Check Point, the latter now attacks an average of 20 organisations a week.
Check Point’s head of Threat Intelligence Lotem Finkelsteen said that ransomware is “breaking records in 2020”.
“The increase in ransomware attacks began with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, as organizations scrambled to enact remote workforces, leaving significant gaps in their IT systems.
"However, the last three months alone have shown alarming surges in ransomware attacks, and I suspect the ransomware threat to get far more worse as we approach the new year,” he said, urging organisations “to be extra vigilant”.
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
According to Finkelsteen, the most significant drivers behind the recent surge in attacks are the victims’ willingness to pay, as well as the rise in increasingly sophisticated attacks, such as Double Extortion and the Emotet malware, which recently made a comeback after five month of absence.
Last week, the US Treasury warned that companies that agree to hand over cash to hackers to free their systems from ransomware may face prosecution or penalties.
RELATED RESOURCE
The advisory cited cyber attacks that were linked to hacking groups from North Korea and Russia, which are both nations sanctioned by the US. The US government often imposes economic and trade sanctions on countries that it deems sponsors terrorism or that violate human rights.
In order to ensure an organisations safety, Check Point’s security researchers recommended taking additional precautions, such as educating employees on how to identify and avoid potential ransomware attacks, ensuring that all systems have the latest patches applied, and maintaining regular backups of data.
Having only graduated from City University in 2019, Sabina has already demonstrated her abilities as a keen writer and effective journalist. Currently a content writer for Drapers, Sabina spent a number of years writing for ITPro, specialising in networking and telecommunications, as well as charting the efforts of technology companies to improve their inclusion and diversity strategies, a topic close to her heart.
Sabina has also held a number of editorial roles at Harper's Bazaar, Cube Collective, and HighClouds.
-
How to implement a four-day week in tech
In-depth More companies are switching to a four-day week as they look to balance employee well-being with productivity
-
Intelligence sharing: The boost for businesses
In-depth Intelligence sharing with peers is essential if critical sectors are to be protected
-
Hackers breached a 158 year old company by guessing an employee password – experts say it’s a ‘pertinent reminder’ of the devastating impact of cyber crime
News A Panorama documentary exposed hackers' techniques and talked to the teams trying to tackle them
-
The ransomware boom shows no signs of letting up – and these groups are causing the most chaos
News Thousands of ransomware cases have already been posted on the dark web this year
-
Everything we know about the Ingram Micro cyber attack so far
News A cyber attack on Ingram Micro severely disrupted operations and has been claimed by the SafePay ransomware group.
-
A prolific ransomware group says it’s shutting down and giving out free decryption keys to victims – but cyber experts warn it's not exactly a 'gesture of goodwill'
News The Hunters International ransomware group is rebranding and switching tactics
-
Swiss government data published following supply chain attack – here’s what we know about the culprits
News Radix, a non-profit organization in the health promotion sector, supplies a number of federal offices, whose data has apparently been accessed.
-
Ransomware victims are getting better at haggling with hackers
News While nearly half of companies paid a ransom to get their data back last year, victims are taking an increasingly hard line with hackers to strike fair deals.
-
LockBit data dump reveals a treasure trove of intel on the notorious hacker group
News An analysis of May's SQL database dump shows how much LockBit was really making
-
‘I take pleasure in thinking I can rid society of at least some of them’: A cyber vigilante is dumping information on notorious ransomware criminals – and security experts say police will be keeping close tabs
News An anonymous whistleblower has released large amounts of data allegedly linked to the ransomware gangs