IT Pro is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Ransomware now strikes one in 40 organisations per week, Check Point finds

VARs, systems integrators, and distributors saw a 143% year-on-year increase in attacks during Q2

"Ransomware" text within binary code

Ransomware attacks now impact one in 40 organisations every week, the latest data from Check Point Research (CPR) has found.

Incidents have risen 59% year-on-year from one in 64 organisations being affected in Q2 2021, due to a combination of higher geopolitical tensions, an increase in remote working, as well as a willingness of organisations to pay the cost of the ransom, CPR said.

Related Resource

Unified endpoint management solutions 2021-22

Analysing the UEM landscape

Whitepaper cover with title on shaded pink/purple backgroundFree Download

Across the wider landscape, the second quarter of 2022 saw cyber-attacks hit an all-time high, increasing by 32% when compared to Q2 2021.

“Ransomware attacks are showing no signs of slowing down,” commented Omer Dembinsky, Data Group Manager at Check Point Software. 

“Hackers are leveraging the increase in attack surface from remote work and learning, and the war between Ukraine and Russia also helps drive the proliferating trend, as geopolitical tensions rising inspires hackers to take sides.”

Distributors targeted

In terms of industry, the data paints a concerning picture for VARs, systems integrators, and distributors. During Q2, the sector saw a 143% increase in ransomware attacks when compared with the same period of last year – equating to one in 47 organisations affected per week. 

That hike was only topped by the Retail and Wholesale sector’s jump of 182%, while Government and Military saw the third highest increase at 135%.

The Education and Research sector was found to be the most attacked industry worldwide, taking an average of 2,300 attacks per organisation every week (up 53%). Government and Military came in second, with 1,620 attacks (+44%), followed by ISPs and MSPs which racked up 1,397 (+29%).

Elsewhere, the healthcare sector saw a huge 60% hike to 1,342 attacks per organisation every week, CPR found.

“The willingness of organisations to meet ransomware demands to protect patients has proved the business of ransomware to be highly lucrative. Hence, we see that hackers are continuing to invest resources in going after healthcare organisations,” Dembinsky continued. 

By region, Africa was the most attacked during Q2, peaking at 1,758 weekly attacks per organisations (up 3%), followed by Asia’s 1,684 (+25%), and Latin America’s 1,602 (+29%).

Prevention

Check Point reiterated that ransomware attacks are often the result of poor employee training and bad habits. The firm underlined preventative measures such as regularly backing up data, having a proactive strategy, employing content scanning and filtering, as well as keeping systems up to date.

“We strongly recommend organisations everywhere to take note of our ransomware prevention tips, such as backing up data, keeping systems up to date, and training employees on awareness,” Dembinsky added.

Featured Resources

IT best practices for accelerating the journey to carbon neutrality

Considerations and pragmatic solutions for IT executives driving sustainable IT

Free Download

The Total Economic Impact™ of IBM Spectrum Virtualize

Cost savings and business benefits enabled by storage built with IBMSpectrum Virtualize

Free download

Using application migration and modernisation to supercharge business agility and resiliency

Modernisation can propel your digital transformation to the next generation

Free Download

The strategic CFO

Why finance transformation propels business value

Free Download

Recommended

Leading Irish CSP eir evo to modernise its private cloud with HPE GreenLake
channel

Leading Irish CSP eir evo to modernise its private cloud with HPE GreenLake

24 Mar 2023
Ivanti bolsters global channel team with double leadership appointment
channel

Ivanti bolsters global channel team with double leadership appointment

23 Mar 2023
Accenture bolsters industrial AI services with Flutura acquisition
artificial intelligence (AI)

Accenture bolsters industrial AI services with Flutura acquisition

22 Mar 2023
HPE acquires IT operations management startup OpsRamp
Cloud

HPE acquires IT operations management startup OpsRamp

21 Mar 2023

Most Popular

The big PSTN switch off: What’s happening between now and 2025?
Sponsored

The big PSTN switch off: What’s happening between now and 2025?

13 Mar 2023
Why – and how – IP can be the hero in your digital transformation success story
Sponsored

Why – and how – IP can be the hero in your digital transformation success story

6 Mar 2023
Why Amazon is cutting staff from AWS
Cloud

Why Amazon is cutting staff from AWS

21 Mar 2023