Amiah Taylor

<p>The world saw an alarming 105% surge in ransomware cyberattacks last year. The attacks are designed to cripple people or businesses by making their computer systems unusable until they pay money or “ransom.”&nbsp;</p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>Governments worldwide saw a 1,885% increase in ransomware attacks, and the health care industry faced a 755% increase in those attacks in 2021, according to the <a href="https://www.sonicwall.com/2022-cyber-threat-report/?elqCampaignId=13998&amp;sfc=7013h000000MiQZAA0&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAgbiQBhAHEiwAuQ6BkmbfNdHZWbIdJBPGBn4ut4T3yR5wDxM6JrGQbSMPEUk4O5ClyAmcVxoC7MsQAvD_BwE"><em>2022 Cyber Threat Report</em></a> released Thursday by SonicWall, an internet cybersecurity company. Ransomware also rose 104% in North America, just under the 105% average increase worldwide, according to the report.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It’s still unclear why there was such a dramatic leap. The increase in ransomware was linked to the rise in remote work and company employees working outside their office networks, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jun/17/ransomware-working-from-home-russia">the <em>Guardian</em></a> reported last year. Individual companies that pay ransomware demands could also be perpetuating that behavior, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/why-ransomware-attacks-are-on-the-rise-and-what-can-be-done-to-stop-them">PBS</a> reported.</p>



<p>“Ransomware operators are profit driven,” Dmitriy Ayrapetov, the VP of platform architecture at SonicWall, told <em>Fortune</em>. “As long as there is a profit they will continue to bring in new players, actors, etc. And of course, on the other side, a lack of security or a lack of preparation allows for this to continue.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>High-profile attacks&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Last year, ransomware attacks hit supply chains, causing widespread system downtime, economic loss, and reputational damage, according to the report.&nbsp;</p>



<p><a href="https://fortune.com/company/jbs/" target="_blank">JBS</a> USA, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jbs-meat-supplier-cyberattack/">the world’s largest meat supplier,</a> was attacked and paid an $11 million ransom in May 2021 in Bitcoin to prevent further disruption, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/crypto/a-timeline-of-the-biggest-ransomware-attacks/">according to CNET.</a> The FBI <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/03/1002819883/revil-a-notorious-ransomware-gang-was-behind-jbs-cyberattack-the-fbi-says">attributed the attack on JBS to REvil</a>, a Russian-speaking ransomware gang, NPR reported.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How to prevent cyberattacks:&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Be vigilant about patching</strong></h3>



<p>One simple solution to prevent ransomware attacks is to diligently “patch” and keep your software up-to-date. Patching is when you update your computer software regularly.</p>



<p>“Everything that everybody uses today in the digital economy and digital society is software. All software has ongoing updates that can be applied,” Ayrapetov told <em>Fortune.</em> “When you run an old version of infrastructure software, that in our industry means that they haven&#8217;t patched. The majority of those releases are security updates. So when people put off patching, they&#8217;re really priming themselves to be soft targets for hackers on the internet.”&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Acquaint yourself with CISA guides</strong></h3>



<p>Ayrapetov recommends familiarizing yourself with the <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware">the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a> (CISA) guides against ransomware attacks, which he calls “definitive sources for malware prevention.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware">agency’s guide</a> breaks down how to create cyber incident response plans and also recommends regular vulnerability scanning on internet-facing devices.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To increase your organization’s level of digital protection, the guide also recommends that organizations implement a cybersecurity user awareness and training program that includes instructions and guidance on how to identify and report suspicious activity like <a href="https://cybersecurity.osu.edu/cybersecurity-you/avoid-threats/phishing">phishing</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>No one is immune</strong></h3>



<p>The majority of small-business owners are not worried about being the victim of a cyberattack, with 56% stating they are not concerned about being the victim of a hack in the next 12 months, according to a 2021 CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/10/the-labor-shortage-isnt-main-streets-biggest-problem.html">Momentive Q3 Small Business Survey</a>. And 24% said they were “not concerned at all.”</p>



<p>This false sense of protection from cyberattacks does not match the rise in malicious digital events that Americans are facing, according to Ayrapetov, who is emphatic that cyberattacks are universal and that everyone is vulnerable.</p>



<p>“By having an online presence by doing things online, everybody from individuals to organizations are automatically in the cybersecurity discussion,” Ayrapetov told <em>Fortune. </em>“It’s something that should be woven into the fabric of every organization and not as an add-on or an afterthought. Hackers will continue to attack the most important asset, which is data, and everyone needs to take steps to be proactive.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p></div>

The attacks to making computer systems unusable until someone pays “ransom" were up 105% last year worldwide.

Ransomware cyberattacks surged in 2021 according to a new report

Never miss a story: <a href="https://fortune.com/my-favorites/">Follow your favorite topics and authors</a> to get a personalized email with the journalism that matters most to you.

F-BreakingNews

cybersecurity

Tech

There's a huge surge in hackers holding data for ransom, and experts want everyone to take these steps

There’s a huge surge in hackers holding data for ransom, and experts want everyone to take these steps

Ransomware cyberattacks surged in 2021 according to a new report | Fortune

Lionel Lim

After BYD’s bumper December, here’s how many cars Tesla must sell to keep its crown as the world’s top EV seller

/asia/2025/01/02/byd-vs-tesla-top-ev-seller-december-sales-china/

Elon Musk’s mysterious ‘Kekius Maximus’ username change on X sends obscure crypto soaring over 1600%

/2024/12/31/why-elon-musk-x-twitter-username-change-kekius-maximus-pepe-the-frog-memecoin-surges/

Jeremy Kahn

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a green sweater walking out of the New York Times DealBook Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.

What OpenAI’s o3 means for AI progress and what it means for AI adoption are two different things

/2024/12/31/openai-o3-shows-progess-toward-agi-but-adoption-may-lag-eye-on-ai/

Allie Garfinkle

The Crystal Ball: The 2025 outlook for IPOs, M&A, and the regulatory landscape

/2024/12/31/the-crystal-ball-the-2025-outlook-for-ipos-ma-and-the-regulatory-landscape/

Alexei Oreskovic

Nvidia’s new year’s surprise: a $700 million software acquisition will be open source

/2024/12/31/nvidias-new-years-surprise-a-700-million-software-acquisition-will-be-open-source/

German flying taxi startup Volocopter faces insolvency just days after investors stepped in to save competitor Lilium

/europe/2024/12/31/german-flying-taxi-volocopter-insolvency/

Sydney Lake

Steve Jobs adopted a no ‘bozos' policy and said the best managers are those who never wanted the job—here are his 3 best management tips

https://fortune.com/article/steve-jobs-management-quotes-advice-apple/?itm_source=parsely-api

Paolo Confino

Elon Musk eyes a deal with his native South Africa to let SpaceX offer Starlink service in exchange for a Tesla battery plant, report says

https://fortune.com/2024/12/30/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-deal-south-africa-tesla-battery-plant/?itm_source=parsely-api

Orianna Rosa Royle

Meet the rich retired boomers who are now ultra-frugal because they are scared of going broke—even after saving for decades

https://fortune.com/2024/12/31/rich-retired-boomers-fear-going-broke-study/?itm_source=parsely-api

Chris Morris

Here's what stores are open (and closed) on New Year's Day 2025

https://fortune.com/2025/01/01/stores-open-closed-new-years-day-2025-grocery-retail-store-hours/?itm_source=parsely-api

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy: An ‘embarrassing’ amount of your success in your 20s depends on your attitude

https://fortune.com/article/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-success-20s-attitude-gen-z/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brooke Seipel

World's richest man Elon Musk leaves Jeff Bezos $237 billion in the dust, thanks to Donald Trump's friendship

https://fortune.com/2024/12/31/billionaires-combined-net-worth-hits-10-trillion-elon-musk-trump-2024/?itm_source=parsely-api