What percentage of ransomware attacks are targeted vs. opportunistic?

Ransomware attacks are becoming progressively common, with a large range of companies and organizations falling victim to these data-encrypting malware attacks. While some ransomware attacks are highly targeted and thoroughly prepared out by cybercriminals, others are more opportunistic in nature. So, what percentage of ransomware attacks are targeted vs. opportunistic?

More Info According to a recent report from Symantec, approximately 1 in 5 ransomware attacks are targeted, while the remaining 4 out of 5 are opportunistic. This suggests that while a little minority of ransomware attacks are performed versus particular organizations or people, the large bulk are random attacks that take benefit of vulnerabilities in systems and networks.

Targeted ransomware attacks are generally much more harmful than opportunistic attacks, as they are frequently performed by more knowledgeable and sophisticated cybercriminals.  Recommended Site Furthermore, targeted attacks are often harder to defend versus, as they are often tailored to make use of particular weaknesses in a target organization's systems.

While opportunistic ransomware attacks can be damaging, they are usually less costly and disruptive than targeted attacks. Additionally, opportunistic attacks are typically more easily found and avoided, as they frequently rely on known vulnerabilities that can be patched.

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