NEWS
Palo Alto Networks reveals ransomware payments hit new records in 2021
Ransomware payments hit new records in 2021 as cybercriminals increasingly turned to Dark Web ‘ leak sites ’ where they pressured victims to pay up by threatening to release sensitive data , according to research released from Unit 42 by Palo Alto Networks .
The average ransom demand in cases worked on by Unit 42 incident responders rose 144 % in 2021 to US $ 2.2 million , while the average payment climbed 78 % to US $ 541,010 , according to The 2022 Unit 42 Ransomware Threat Report . The most affected industries were professional and legal services , construction , wholesale and retail , healthcare and manufacturing .
“ In 2021 , ransomware attacks interfered with everyday activities that people all over the world take for granted – everything from buying groceries , purchasing gasoline for our cars to calling 911 in the event of an emergency and obtaining medical care ,” said Jen Miller-Osborn , Deputy Director , Unit 42 Threat Intelligence .
The report describes how the cyber extortion ecosystem grew in 2021 , with the emergence of 35 new ransomware gangs .
The number of victims whose data was posted on leak sites rose 85 % in 2021 , to 2,566 organizations , according to Unit 42 ’ s analysis . A total of 60 % of leak site victims were in the Americas , followed by 31 % for Europe , the Middle East and Africa , and then 9 % in the Asia-Pacific region .
Cisco and Telefónica partner to develop a convergent network and security offering
Cisco and Telefónica Tech have announced a partnership that will provide an innovative managed service with an impact not only in Latin America but the entire world . The service is based on SDWAN , security and SASE architectures .
With this new service , companies seek to provide security mechanisms for large and medium-sized global companies from the data center to the mobile networks of employees without neglecting offices and remote work points .
The connectivity portion of the managed service will leverage the full portfolio of Cisco SD-WAN solutions , along with the Cisco Meraki cloud-managed platform and wireless solutions .
Customers can combine these connectivity solutions with Cisco security technologies , including Cisco Umbrella , advanced firewalls , anti-malware , intrusion protection and zero-trust access controls . Furthermore , there will be a cloud security module with Cisco Umbrella , based on the convergence strategy of Telefónica Tech network and security services .
Therefore , the services of the portfolio based on the capabilities of Cisco SD- WAN will be complemented with security features in the cloud , facilitating and protecting employees when accessing the Internet or business applications , regardless of their location .
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