What percentage of ransomware attacks are targeted vs. opportunistic?

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What percentage of ransomware attacks are targeted vs. opportunistic?

Ransomware attacks are becoming significantly typical, with a wide variety of companies and businesses succumbing to these data-encrypting malware attacks. While some ransomware attacks are highly targeted and thoroughly planned by cybercriminals, others are more opportunistic in nature. What portion of ransomware attacks are targeted vs. opportunistic?

According to a current report from Symantec, roughly 1 in 5 ransomware attacks are targeted, while the remaining 4 out of 5 are opportunistic. This means that while a small minority of ransomware attacks are carried out against particular organizations or people, the large bulk are random attacks that take advantage of vulnerabilities in systems and networks.

Targeted ransomware attacks are normally far more damaging than opportunistic attacks, as they are frequently performed by more experienced and sophisticated cybercriminals. Furthermore, targeted attacks are frequently harder to prevent, as they are typically customized to exploit specific weaknesses in a target organization's systems.


https://cleardex.io/?p=789 While opportunistic ransomware attacks can be destructive, they are typically less expensive and disruptive than targeted attacks. In addition, opportunistic attacks are often more easily found and avoided, as they typically depend on recognized vulnerabilities that can be patched.

Organizations and individuals can assist protect themselves from both targeted and opportunistic ransomware attacks by keeping up to date on security patches, using strong security software application, and supporting information frequently.