From 2019 to 2020, the number of Kaspersky users encountering targeted ransomware—malware used to extort money from high-profile targets, such as corporations, government agencies, and municipal organizations—increased by 767%.
This increase in targeted ransomware occurred alongside a 29% decrease in the overall number of users affected by any kind of ransomware, with WannaCry still the most frequently encountered family. These are among the most important findings in Kaspersky’s recent report on the ransomware landscape from 2019-2020.
The ransomware threat—when attackers encrypt private information and hold it to ransom—became mainstream news in the 2010s following large-scale outbreaks, such as WannaCry and Cryptolocker. They targeted tens of thousands of users and often requested relatively small amounts from victims to have their files returned.