Ransomware Surge in 2024: Victims Up 15%, New Tactics Target Weak Credentials
Ransomware news surged in 2024, with a 15% increase in victims compared to the previous year. A leaked playbook revealed a shift in tactics, favouring reliable methods over mass exploits.
The shift began in late 2023 and spread widely among ransomware operators and initial access brokers (IAB) throughout 2024. Instead of exploiting software vulnerabilities, they now target weak credentials, often focusing on VPN and gateway accounts lacking multifactor authentication (MFA).
November 2024 saw the highest number of victims, with 629 posted on leak sites, followed by a decline in December (516). This trend culminated in a record high in Q4 2024, with 1663 new victims, a 32% increase from Q3. RansomHub accounted for the highest number of attacks (238), followed by Akira (133) and Play (95).
Concurrently, there was a 67% increase in new ransomware groups formed in 2024, with 55 new groups observed last year.
The rise in ransomware news and the emergence of new groups underscore the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. Strengthening credentials and implementing MFA can help mitigate these evolving threats.
Read also:
- China's Foothold in Europe
- Advancement in Biometric Acceptance Paves Way for Challenges in Countering AI-Driven Digital Fraud
- Unidentified cybercriminals suspected in mobile banking fraud in Kenya, as insiders potentially implicated in the scheme
- Exploring the Architecture and Skills of Qualys' Agentic AI: A Deep Dive into Its Technological Framework and Abilities
