In 2021, the highest ransomware ransom request ever was $ 50 million, up from $ 30 million last year.
The payments made, on the other hand, are on average around $ 570,000, with an increase of 82% compared to the previous year which in turn had seen an increase of 171% compared to 2019. These are the data provided by the research team Unit 42 of Palo Alto Networks.
One of the best-known attacks hit the computer company Kaseya, which was initially asked for the equivalent of $ 70 million in Bitcoin, which then dropped to $ 50 million; the latest confirmed payment for a ransomware attack was $ 11 million from JBS Foods for the REvil group.
According to security experts, prices have risen because cybercriminals have begun to exploit the system of double extortion, ('double extortion'): for victims it is not only about recovering the encrypted data but also to prevent it from being disclosed to the public. The aim is to put as much pressure on the victims as possible to get them to pay. And these, explains Palo Alto Networks, are not only large multinationals but also smaller companies that may not have invested much in cybersecurity.