Report: Check Point Analysis of 2023 Ransomware Surge

Check Point Software Technologies offers a comprehensive analysis of the climbing cyber attack trends of recent years, of which 2023 pointedly made its mark. Not only did 2023 continue the significant upward trend of cyber attacks from the past few years, but the threat landscape saw a transformation in attacks observed by industry and region.

Of all the concerning trends of 2023, ransomware is the most notable. According to Check Point, global ransomware attacks reached an all-time peak in 2023 with 10% of all organizations worldwide being targeted, up from 7% in 2022. Check Point specifically points out what it classifies as “mega-ransomware,” which highlights a shift in execution strategies. This shift included the increased use of zero-day exploits that left a trail of organizations grappling with the aftermath of these malicious attacks. Additionally, this shift included a decreased reliance on the encryption component, where threat actors instead focused on data theft and threatened to publicly disclose stolen data. This underscores a significant change in threat actor behavior as seen from the attack campaigns of MOVEit and GoAnywhere.

What to do about all these notable statistics? WaterISAC recommends regularly referencing CISA’s StopRansomware page for up-to-date alerts and guidance, including the importance of having a ransomware response plan and exercising that plan. Likewise, Check point offers additional practical advice on preventing ransomware and other attacks. Read more at Check Point.

Additional Resource from WaterISAC

• Ransomware Resilience: You Can’t Handle Not Exercising (Ransomware Response)