U.S. Accounts for More than Half of World’s Ransomware Attacks

According to Malwarebytes’ Q1 2019 Cybercrime Tactics and Techniques report, the U.S. is the country most affected by ransomware, with data from the company revealing that 53 percent of ransomware detections came from the country. Canada, which is the second most impacted country in the list, accounts for 10 percent of the ransomware detections. Further analysis of the statistics shows that ransomware attacks were most prevalent in Texas and California.  According to the statistics, Ryuk is currently the main ransomware threat for businesses, surpassing GandCrab (whose operators announced its retirement in June). The report also noted that ransomware has shifted its focus from consumers to businesses, a trend that seems likely to continue in the second half of 2019. The report also discusses Emotet, noting that detections of this malware in businesses have risen by more than 200 percent as compared to the end of 2018. Read articles about the report at Bleeping Computer and Dark Reading.