Nesten 200 millioner poster utsatt for løsepengevirusangrep i 2024

Ransomware cyber gangs have claimed responsibility for over five thousand successful attacks carried out against organizations across the globe in 2024.

According to Comparitech’s annual ransomware report, 1,204 attacks (from the claimed 5,461) have been confirmed by the targeted organizations, equating to a figure of 195,414,994 compromised records.

While this figure could potentially increase as new data rolls in over the coming months, it is yet to match the total for 2023, which saw 261.5 million records breached (from a confirmed 1,474 attacks).

As it stands, 2024’s organizations have paid $133.5 million to the ransomware groups, averaging out at $9,532,263.

Of the cyber gangs responsible, RansomHub is currently the most notorious, with a confirmed 89 attacks behind it, followed by LockBit with 83, Medusa with 62, Play with 57, and INC with 48.

The report recorded the combined number of records breached by these prolific ransomware criminals as approximately 18.3 million.

The top three largest attacks were suffered by the US-based Change Healthcare and LoanDepot, along with Australia’s MediSecure. 

Change Healthcare had an estimated 100 million people affected by its ALPHV/BlackCat attack. The organization, struck by the attack in February 2014, reportedly paid out $22 million.

Loan Depot had an estimated 16.9 million people affected by an attack from the same group, with the hackers demanding a $6 million ransom which was not paid.

MediSecure, with an estimated12.9 million people affected by an unknown group’s attack in May, had its breached data listed for sale (at $50,000) by Ansgar, who also claimed the attack.

Izumi Co. Ltd and Evolve Bank & Trust followed, the former with an estimated 7.8 million people affected, from an attack by an unknown group, and the latter with 7.6 million affected by a LockBit attack.

Comparitech, whose data research is headed by Rebecca Moody, categorizes ransomware strain attacks into four sectors, those being business, government, healthcare and education.

Moody stated that the only sector predicted to see a decrease in recent attacks is that of education, based on 188 logged attacks against schools and universities in 2023, compared to 116 in 2024.

While Moody accepts that forecasting ransomware’s global reach and damage is no easy feat, she is confident that the intelligence, gleaned from analysis and research, can create some clarity for the near future.

Based on 2024’s figures, Moody stated that it would be “highly likely we’ll continue to see large-scale attacks” coursing through 2025. 

Furthermore, these types of attacks will “either cause widespread disruption to companies, and/or see troves of data being stolen,” Moody cautioned.