Weekly average number of ransomware attacks detected in June of 2021 was more than 149,000. A year prior, it was only 14,000 – making an increase of 966%

Recently released Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs 1H 2021 Global Threat Landscape Report outlines the currently-observed state of ransomware. No questions asked, ransomware attacks are continuing to rise with no site on stopping in the future.

Other Important findings include:

• 9 out of the top 10 exploits target Internet of Things(IoT) devices have proven to be wildly insecure.
• Ransomware has increased 7x from the start of the half to the end. The larger emphasis of these ransomware gangs has been on Big Game Hunting.
• In the second half of 2020 threats due to phishing websites rose from 30% to 34% in a matter of two months. Cyber criminals are taking advantage of the increased amount of web traffic on work from home networks.

As we know ransomware attacks has been on the rise, this report helps to substantiate the kinds of organizations (the Fortinet report list more than 20 industry verticals) that are consistently being targeted and – therefore – should be proactively putting protective measures in place. 

NIST released early this year Special Publication 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations, adding some critical new language to the sections covering security awareness. The updated NIST standard now includes providing frequent simulated social engineering testing.

Here is how NIST states the relevant language is within Section 3.2.: “Practical exercises include no-notice social engineering attempts to collect information, gain unauthorized access, or simulate the adverse impact of opening malicious email attachments or invoking, via spear phishing attacks, malicious web links.”

Security Awareness Training for your employees is a start to securing your information/data from ransomware attacks. But, it goes on beyond that – CIT is here to help find your organization’s vulnerabilities . . .before someone else does. Information is the lifeblood to any business. Let us help you reduce your exposure to cyber risk with our Security and Risk Assessment.

Corporate Information Technologies provides small to mid-market organizations with expert I.T. services including compliance assessment, cybersecurity penetration tests, and comprehensive business continuity planning services. Corporate Information Technologies can help organizations, quantify, create, refine, and mitigate the risks presented by business threatening disasters in whatever form they may be disguised. 

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