Nine in 10 organizations already attacked by ransomware would pay ransom if attacked again

The new Kaspersky report 'How business executives perceive ransomware threat' finds that in 88% of organizations previously attacked by ransomware, business leaders would choose to pay a ransom if they attacked again. are confronted. For organizations that have not been victimized before, only 67% would be willing to pay, and they would be less likely to do so immediately. While ransomware remains a prominent threat, with two-thirds (64%) of businesses already affected by an attack, ransom payments appear to be seen by executives as a reliable way to address the issue.

Ransomware has become a buzzword in the corporate world, with major attacks on businesses making headlines week after week and the number of ransomware attacks nearly doubling in 2021 alone . These statistics raise the question of how companies will react in the event of an attack and what their attitude will be towards paying ransom to the criminals behind it.

According to the report, an organization that has been a victim of ransomware in the past is increasingly likely to pay a ransom in the event of a new attack (88%). These companies are also more likely to pay as soon as possible to get immediate access to their data (33% of previously attacked companies vs. 15% of companies that have never been victimized), or to pay after just a few days. of failed decryption attempts (30% vs. 19%).

Organizational executives who have previously paid ransom seem to believe it is the most effective way to get their data back, as 97% of them are willing to do it again. This willingness of companies to pay can be attributed to a lack of knowledge of how to respond to such threats, or to the time it takes to recover data, as companies can lose more money waiting for data recovery than to paying ransom.

Ransomware remains a real threat to cybersecurity. Two-thirds (64%) of companies confirm that they have experienced these types of incidents and 66% expect an attack on their company to take place at some point, which is more likely than other common attack types, such as DDoS , supply chain, APT, crypto mining or cyber espionage.

It is important for companies to follow basic security principles and look for reliable security solutions to minimize the risk of a ransomware incident. On Anti-Ransomware Day, it's worth keeping these practices in mind."

There are several steps you can take to better protect yourself against ransomware. First, it is important to ensure that the software is always up to date on all devices. This prevents attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities and from infiltrating your network. In addition, it is a good idea to make offline backups that intruders cannot tamper with. Also make sure you can get to it quickly in case of an emergency. Have you fallen victim to a ransomware attack? Then never pay the ransom. Paying does not guarantee that you will get your data back and it will only encourage criminals to continue. Instead, report the incident to local law enforcement agencies and see if you can find a decryptor at https://www.nomoreransom.org .

The full report, "How business executives perceive ransomware threat", can be downloaded here .