- FBI -Report reveals a serious increase in ransomware in 2024
- Ransomware -Attacks rose 9% by 2024
- Cryptocurrency -svig also claimed more victims than ever
The FBI has released a report that outlines where expensive ransomware -attacks were in 2024, with attacks that once again rose to demand more victims than ever.
Complaints about attacks rose 9% by 2024 and were even more expensive for the victims and cost a record of $ 16.6 billion – an increase of 33% from 2023. Concern, critical infrastructure accounted for almost half of all received ransomware complaints, probably a reflection of rising geopolitical tensions leading to state -sponsored and politically motivated attacks.
Critical infrastructure is the latest measure of cyber criminals as it provides key services and downtime is both expensive and dangerous, which means companies are often more likely to pay ransomware gangs to unlock their data or systems.
A staggering amount
The FBI’s report also shows that almost 200,000 complaints for phishing/spoofing attacks were received, and another 85,000 were filed in relation to extortion events.
Cyber-enabled fraud accounted for a huge 83% of all losses reported by 2024, representing a serious but well-established shift in tactics to digital crime.
“These rising losses are even more worrying because the FBI took significant actions last year to make it harder and more expensive for malicious actors to succeed,” explained B. Chad Yarbough, FBI’s Director of Criminal and Cyber.
“We gave a serious battle for Lockbit, one of the world’s most active ransomware groups. Since 2022 we have offered thousands of decrypt keys to victims of ransomware and avoided over $ 800 million in payments.”
The report also points to a serious increase in cryptocurrency losses and reaches $ 9.3 billion – up 66% from 2023.
The FBI received nearly 150,000 complaints of cryptocurrency fraud, most widespread were false investment schemes, a theme we have seen in recent years with thousands of fake cryptocurrency places created to capture users in false reward schemes.
