So.. is Ransomware down? The Washington Post examines the possible head-fake that recent data might be presenting. As recent tallies have shown a decline… have they?
The data – last month, the Ransomware Task Force documented 64 attacks on local government, hospitals, and schools in 2022 to that point, compared with 150 incidents from the same period last year. SonicWall, NCC Group, and GuidePoint Security also noted decreases (although Avast has data showing it up for the quarter but down for the year).
But, it could be how the analysis is done – the data is pulled from ransomware gangs’ leak sites, which they are now using less, plus new tactics that don’t require locking entire networks.
And on top of that, it could just be that smaller victims don’t report.
Why do we care?
As a confessed data nerd, this analysis spoke to me. I’m watching trends less than specific data points, and slight declines in the number of reported incidents are not the story. The change of tactics and the lack of reporting are the main stories. We are getting less insight, not more, and are a long way from a solution.
If we want more accurate data, we can’t rely on the criminals; instead, we need to create safety for victims to report.