Ransomware Risks Persist in 2023

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Last month’s “ransomware and data exfiltration event” suffered by the U.S. Marshals Service was a stark reminder that cybersecurity threats continue as a significant risk to businesses of all kinds.

Mar 07, 2023

Cybersecurity

Last month’s “ransomware and data exfiltration event” suffered by the U.S. Marshals Service was a stark reminder that cybersecurity threats continue as a significant risk to businesses of all kinds. No organization—not even law enforcement—is exempt.

Here are some of the latest troubling statistics:

  • International IT trade group CompTIA reports that ransomware attacks grew 41% last year.
  • CompTIA analysts also found that “identification and remediation” for a ransomware incident took 49 days longer than the average time for other types of breaches.
  • By contrast, IBM research shows last year ransomware perpetrators reduced attack deployment time 94% from an average of 60 days in 2019 to just four days on average in 2022.

Why are cybercriminals getting better at assaults like ransomware?

One reason is digital automation. Continually improving technology solutions that help companies like yours raise productivity and increase profitability can help bad actors do the same. Illicit cloud services on the dark web, for example, enable cybercrooks to operate anytime from anywhere at any scale—from international syndicates to garages or basements in your neighborhood.

Another reason is today’s post-pandemic working environment, which accelerated the trend toward mobility, rapidly swelling the already expanding ranks of remote workers. Supporting a hybrid workforce that splits time between home offices and company facilities is becoming a business standard in many industries. Unrestrained by obligations to corporate policies or compliance with government regulations, hackers are adapting techniques faster than their victims can keep pace.

How can your firm turn the tables? Here are two critical keys:

  1. Ongoing cybersecurity education: Invest in continual technical training for IT staff and provide continual awareness training for employees from management ranks to frontline service agents.
  2. Engage expert resources: As a premier IT managed services provider (MSP), we have expertise across multiple technical disciplines and industries, along with seasoned staff to fortify your technology team.

Give us a call for a cybersecurity consultation.


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