Cyber attacks increase by 422% in a year, according to the analysis of Mandiant Intelligence. Production, retail, legal and professional services, target sectors
They reach 600 European companies hit by ransomware between February 2020 and mid-May 2021. Comparing cyber attacks between the first quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, there is an increase of 422%. The data is revealed by a Mandiant Intelligence analysis, according to which, ransomware has effects in all sectors and across countries. But manufacturing, legal and professional services, and retail are the hardest hit sectors.
Ransomware and the cybercrime ecosystem follow global economic trends. Perceived economic performance and level of development can be explained because the United Kingdom, France and Germany are among the countries that are most targeted compared to other European countries.
Starting in mid-2019, ransomware began to evolve – it started as a broad-spectrum threat that generally aimed to increase the number of victims, until it became a more reasonable and “targeted” activity.
“In the past,” explains Jens Monrad, director, Head of Mandant Intelligence, Emea, “we have clearly seen how cyberspace activities can impact our daily lives.”
“Today the concern – Monrad continues – is that groups operating through ransomware attacks will continue to grow until we begin to address the problem on a political level. Slowing down these criminal activities will require a level of political involvement that we have never seen before.
“Cybercrime is a global challenge and we need to report and act against countries that provide protection to cybercriminals or passively accept their actions until these attackers hit the host country or protect them.”
