Latest news with #ChesterWisniewski
Web Release
07-07-2025
- Business
- Web Release
Nearly Half of Companies in the UAE Opt to Pay the Ransom, Sophos Report Finds
Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today released its sixth annual State of Ransomware report, a vendor-agnostic survey of IT and cybersecurity leaders across 17 countries that studies the impact of ransomware attacks on businesses. This year's survey found that nearly 50% of companies globally paid the ransom to get their data back – the second highest rate of ransom payment for ransom demands in six years. While 43% of organizations in the UAE that had data encrypted paid the ransom, 30% of them paid less than the original demand. Globally, in 71% of cases where the companies paid less, they did so through negotiation – either through their own negotiations or with help from a third party. In fact, while the median global ransom demand dropped by a third between 2024 and 2025, the median global ransom payment dropped by 50%, illustrating how companies are becoming more successful at minimizing the impact of ransomware. Overall, the median ransom payment in the UAE was 1.33 million dollars, although the initial demand varied significantly depending on organization size and revenue. Across the globe, the median ransom demand for companies with over $1 billion in revenue was five million dollars, while organizations with $250 million revenue or less, saw median ransom demands of less than $350,000. Exploited vulnerabilities were the number one technical root cause of attacks in the UAE, while 49% of ransomware victims said adversaries took advantage of a security gap that they were not aware of – highlighting organizations' ongoing struggle to see and secure their attack surface. Overall, 54% of UAE organizations said resourcing issues were a factor in them falling victim to the attack, with one third citing a lack of expertise and 30% reporting a shortage of expertise. Additionally, the report reveals that the impact of ransomware attacks on data in the UAE remains significant. In 55% of the attacks, data was successfully encrypted, surpassing the global average (50%). In 43% of those cases, data was also stolen, much higher than the 28% global rate. Despite this, 98% of affected organizations recovered their data, with 68% using backups and 43% opting to pay the ransom, highlighting both strong recovery strategies and ongoing challenges. 'For many organizations, the chance of being compromised by ransomware actors is just a part of doing business in 2025. The good news is that, thanks to this increased awareness, many companies are arming themselves with resources to limit damage. This includes hiring incident responders who can not only lower ransom payments but also speed up recovery and even stop attacks in progress,' says Chester Wisniewski, director, field CISO, Sophos. 'Of course, ransomware can still be 'cured' by tackling the root causes of attacks: exploited vulnerabilities, lack of visibility into the attack surface, and too few resources. We're seeing more companies recognize they need help and moving to Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services for defense. MDR coupled with proactive security strategies, such as multifactor authentication and patching, can go a long way in preventing ransomware from the start.' Additional Key UAE Findings from the State of Ransomware 2025 Report: Exploited vulnerabilities were the most common technical root cause of attack, used in 42% of attacks. They are followed by malicious emails, which were the start of 23% of attacks. Compromised credentials were used in 18% of attacks Business impact of ransomware Excluding any ransom payments, the average (mean) bill incurred by organizations in the UAE to recover from a ransomware attack in the last year came in at $1.41 million, below the $1.53 million global average. This includes costs of downtime, people time, device cost, network cost, lost opportunity, etc. Organizations in the UAE recovered swiftly from ransomware attacks, with 63% fully recovered up to a week, notably above the 53% global average. 15% took between one and six months to recover, below the 18% global average. Human impact of ransomware on IT/cybersecurity teams In organizations where data was encrypted: 40% reported increased pressure from senior leaders. 37% say the team's workload has increased since the attack. 42% report increased anxiety or stress about future attacks. 18% have experienced team member absence due to stress/mental health issues. Ransomware remains a major threat to organizations in the UAE. As adversaries continue to iterate and evolve their attacks, it's essential that defenders and their cyber defenses keep pace. Sophos recommends the following best practices to help organizations defend against ransomware and other cyberattacks: Take steps to eliminate common technical and operational root causes of attacks, such as exploited vulnerabilities. Tools like Sophos Managed Risk can help companies access their risk profile and minimize their exposure. Ensure all endpoints (including servers) are well-defended with dedicated anti-ransomware protection. Have an incident response plan in place and tested for when things go wrong. Have good backups and practice restoring data regularly. Companies need around-the-clock monitoring and detection. If they do not have the resources in-house for this, they can work with a trusted managed detection and response (MDR) provider. Data for the State of Ransomware 2025 report comes from a vendor-agnostic survey of 3,400 IT and cybersecurity leaders in organizations that were hit by ransomware in the previous year. Organizations surveyed ranged from 100 – 5,000 employees and across 17 countries The survey was conducted between January and March 2025, and respondents were asked about their experience of ransomware over the previous 12 months. Sophos will be releasing additional industry findings throughout the year. Download the full State of Ransomware 2025 report here. Learn how MDR can neutralize attacks like ransomware in real-time by registering for the webinar Behind the Shield: Real-World Stories of Thwarted Ransomware Attacks here.
New Straits Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Half of ransomware victims paid hackers, according to a study
KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 50 per cent of organisations affected by ransomware chose to pay the ransom to recover their data, the second-highest rate recorded in six years, according to cybersecurity company Sophos. The data comes from Sophos' sixth annual State of Ransomware report, a vendor-neutral global survey of IT and cybersecurity leaders across 17 countries, offering insights into the real-world impact of ransomware on businesses. Notably, while many victims opted to pay, 53 per cent of them ended up negotiating and paying less than the attackers' original demand. In 71 per cent of those cases, companies managed to lower the amount through negotiation, either on their own or with the help of a third party. The survey also found that from 2024 to 2025, the median ransom demand dropped by a third and the median payment fell by half, indicating companies are becoming more effective at limiting ransomware impact. Overall, the median ransom payment was one million dollars, although the initial demand varied significantly depending on organisation size and revenue. The median ransom demand for companies with over US$1 billion in revenue was five million dollars, while organisations with US$250 million in revenue or less saw median ransom demands of less than US$350,000. Meanwhile, the study also found that for the third year in a row, exploited vulnerabilities were the leading technical root cause of attacks. In addition, 40 per cent of ransomware victims said attackers took advantage of a security gap they were not aware of, highlighting the ongoing challenge organisations face in identifying and securing their attack surface. Overall, 63 per cent of organisations said resourcing issues contributed to them falling victim to the attack. Lack of expertise was the top operational cause among organisations with more than 3,000 employees, while lack of people or capacity was most often cited by those with 251 to 500 employees. Sophos director and global field chief information security officer (CISO) Chester Wisniewski said for many organisations, the chance of being compromised by ransomware actors is just a part of doing business in 2025. "The good news is that, thanks to this increased awareness, many companies are arming themselves with resources to limit damage. "This includes hiring incident responders who can not only lower ransom payments but also speed up recovery and even stop attacks in progress," he said in a statement. He added that ransomware can still be "cured" by tackling the root causes of attacks, such as exploited vulnerabilities, lack of visibility into the attack surface, and limited resources. He noted that Sophos is seeing more companies recognise they need help and move to managed detection and response (MDR) services for defence. "MDR coupled with proactive security strategies, such as multifactor authentication and patching, can go a long way in preventing ransomware from the start," he said. Data for the State of Ransomware 2025 report comes from a vendor-agnostic survey of 3,400 IT and cybersecurity leaders in organisations that were hit by ransomware in the previous year. Organisations surveyed ranged from 100 to 5,000 employees and across 17 countries.
Channel Post MEA
26-06-2025
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
Half Of UAE Companies Paying Ransom After Ransomware
Sophos has released its sixth annual State of Ransomware report , a vendor-agnostic survey of IT and cybersecurity leaders across 17 countries that studies the impact of ransomware attacks on businesses. This year's survey found that nearly 50% of companies globally paid the ransom to get their data back – the second highest rate of ransom payment for ransom demands in six years. While 43% of organizations in the UAE that had data encrypted paid the ransom, 30% of them paid less than the original demand. Globally, in 71% of cases where the companies paid less, they did so through negotiation – either through their own negotiations or with help from a third party. In fact, while the median global ransom demand dropped by a third between 2024 and 2025, the median global ransom payment dropped by 50%, illustrating how companies are becoming more successful at minimizing the impact of ransomware. Overall, the median ransom payment in the UAE was 1.33 million dollars, although the initial demand varied significantly depending on organization size and revenue. Across the globe, the median ransom demand for companies with over $1 billion in revenue was five million dollars, while organizations with $250 million revenue or less, saw median ransom demands of less than $350,000. Exploited vulnerabilities were the number one technical root cause of attacks in the UAE, while 49% of ransomware victims said adversaries took advantage of a security gap that they were not aware of – highlighting organizations' ongoing struggle to see and secure their attack surface. Overall, 54% of UAE organizations said resourcing issues were a factor in them falling victim to the attack, with one third citing a lack of expertise and 30% reporting a shortage of expertise. Additionally, the report reveals that the impact of ransomware attacks on data in the UAE remains significant. In 55% of the attacks, data was successfully encrypted, surpassing the global average (50%). In 43% of those cases, data was also stolen, much higher than the 28% global rate. Despite this, 98% of affected organizations recovered their data, with 68% using backups and 43% opting to pay the ransom, highlighting both strong recovery strategies and ongoing challenges. 'For many organizations, the chance of being compromised by ransomware actors is just a part of doing business in 2025. The good news is that, thanks to this increased awareness, many companies are arming themselves with resources to limit damage. This includes hiring incident responders who can not only lower ransom payments but also speed up recovery and even stop attacks in progress,' says Chester Wisniewski, director, field CISO, Sophos. 'Of course, ransomware can still be 'cured' by tackling the root causes of attacks: exploited vulnerabilities, lack of visibility into the attack surface, and too few resources. We're seeing more companies recognize they need help and moving to Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services for defense. MDR coupled with proactive security strategies, such as multifactor authentication and patching, can go a long way in preventing ransomware from the start.' Additional Key UAE Findings from the State of Ransomware 2025 Report: Exploited vulnerabilities were the most common technical root cause of attack, used in 42% of attacks. They are followed by malicious emails, which were the start of 23% of attacks. Compromised credentials were used in 18% of attacks Business impact of ransomware Excluding any ransom payments, the average (mean) bill incurred by organizations in the UAE to recover from a ransomware attack in the last year came in at $1.41 million, below the $1.53 million global average. This includes costs of downtime, people time, device cost, network cost, lost opportunity, etc. Organizations in the UAE recovered swiftly from ransomware attacks, with 63% fully recovered up to a week, notably above the 53% global average. 15% took between one and six months to recover, below the 18% global average. Human impact of ransomware on IT/cybersecurity teams In organizations where data was encrypted: 40% reported increased pressure from senior leaders. 37% say the team's workload has increased since the attack. 42% report increased anxiety or stress about future attacks. 18% have experienced team member absence due to stress/mental health issues. Ransomware remains a major threat to organizations in the UAE. As adversaries continue to iterate and evolve their attacks, it's essential that defenders and their cyber defenses keep pace. Sophos recommends the following best practices to help organizations defend against ransomware and other cyberattacks: Take steps to eliminate common technical and operational root causes of attacks, such as exploited vulnerabilities. Tools like Sophos Managed Risk can help companies access their risk profile and minimize their exposure. can help companies access their risk profile and minimize their exposure. Ensure all endpoints (including servers) are well-defended with dedicated anti-ransomware protection. Have an incident response plan in place and tested for when things go wrong. Have good backups and practice restoring data regularly. plan in place and tested for when things go wrong. Have good backups and practice restoring data regularly. Companies need around-the-clock monitoring and detection. If they do not have the resources in-house for this, they can work with a trusted managed detection and response (MDR) provider . Data for the State of Ransomware 2025 report comes from a vendor-agnostic survey of 3,400 IT and cybersecurity leaders in organizations that were hit by ransomware in the previous year. Organizations surveyed ranged from 100 – 5,000 employees and across 17 countries.
Arabian Business
25-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
UAE companies pay $1.33mn median ransom as cybersecurity threats rise
Nearly half of companies in the UAE chose to pay ransoms to cybercriminals in 2024, according to Sophos's sixth annual State of Ransomware report. The cybersecurity firm's vendor-agnostic survey of IT and cybersecurity leaders across 17 countries reveals that 43 per cent of UAE organisations with encrypted data paid the ransom, with the median payment reaching $1.33 million. The report, which surveyed 3,400 IT and cybersecurity leaders in organisations hit by ransomware over the previous year, shows that 30 per cent of UAE companies that paid ransoms negotiated amounts lower than the initial demand. Most UAE firms recover ransomware data Globally, 71 per cent of companies that paid reduced amounts achieved this through negotiation, either independently or with third-party assistance. 'For many organisations, the chance of being compromised by ransomware actors is just a part of doing business in 2025,' said Chester Wisniewski, director of field CISO at Sophos. 'The good news is that, thanks to this increased awareness, many companies are arming themselves with resources to limit damage.' Exploited vulnerabilities emerged as the primary technical root cause of ransomware attacks in the UAE, accounting for 42 per cent of incidents. Malicious emails initiated 23 per cent of attacks, whilst compromised credentials were used in 18 per cent of cases. The report highlights that 49 per cent of ransomware victims said adversaries exploited security gaps they were unaware of, demonstrating organisations' ongoing struggle to identify and secure their attack surface. Resource constraints affected 54 per cent of UAE organisations that fell victim to attacks, with one-third citing lack of expertise and 30 per cent reporting staff shortages. The impact on data remains severe in the UAE, with 55 per cent of attacks successfully encrypting data, surpassing the global average of 50 per cent. In 43 per cent of these cases, data was also stolen, significantly higher than the global rate of 28 per cent. Despite these challenges, 98 per cent of affected organisations recovered their data. Recovery methods included using backups (68 per cent of cases) and paying ransoms (43 per cent of cases). Ransomware recovery costs below global average Excluding ransom payments, the average cost for UAE organisations to recover from ransomware attacks reached $1.41 million, below the global average of $1.53 million. These costs encompass downtime, personnel time, device replacement, network restoration, and lost opportunities. UAE organisations demonstrated swift recovery capabilities, with 63 per cent achieving full recovery within one week, notably above the global average of 53 per cent. Only 15 per cent required between one and six months to recover, below the global average of 18 per cent. The attacks significantly affected cybersecurity personnel in organisations where data was encrypted. The survey found that 40 per cent reported increased pressure from senior leadership, whilst 37 per cent experienced increased workloads following attacks. Stress levels rose substantially, with 42 per cent reporting increased anxiety about future attacks and 18 per cent experiencing team member absences due to stress or mental health issues. Whilst median global ransom demands dropped by one-third between 2024 and 2025, median payments fell by 50 per cent, indicating companies' growing success in minimising ransomware impact. Ransom demands varied significantly based on organisation size, with companies exceeding $1 billion in revenue facing median demands of $5 million, whilst organisations with $250 million revenue or less saw median demands below $350,000. Wisniewski emphasised that ransomware can be prevented by addressing root causes: 'exploited vulnerabilities, lack of visibility into the attack surface, and too few resources.' He noted increasing adoption of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services for defence. Sophos recommends several practices to defend against ransomware: Eliminating common technical and operational root causes such as exploited vulnerabilities Ensuring all endpoints have dedicated anti-ransomware protection Maintaining tested incident response plans and regular backup restoration practices Implementing round-the-clock monitoring and detection capabilities
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Surrey, B.C., resident arrested as part of global cybercrime investigation
RCMP in B.C. announced Wednesday that a Surrey resident has been arrested as part of a global cybersecurity crackdown. Police say the person they arrested operated a network of thousands of infected computers capable of delivering malware — malicious software which could steal personal data or mine cryptocurrency. It's part of a global crackdown on cybercriminals, led by the European Union's police agency Europol, called "Operation Endgame." The operation saw multiple arrests in partnership with Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and the U.S. While RCMP have released little information about the B.C. arrest, a cybersecurity expert says the recent crackdown comes after a significant operation last May that saw the bust of a large cybercrime ring, which had compromised hundreds of thousands of computers. "The [individual] that was arrested here in B.C. appears to have been a customer purchasing access to those compromised computers, and to me that's important," said Chester Wisniewski, the director and field chief information security officer for Vancouver-based company Sophos. Wisniewski said that, historically, law enforcement tends to go after the kingpins at the top of cybercrime operations and not lower-level criminals who do not organize operations. "This arrest here in B.C. in particular ... kind of sends a message to the customers that you're not off the hook either," the cybersecurity expert told CBC News. Chester Wisniewski from cybersecurity company Sophos said that the arrest announced Wednesday likely sent a ripple of fear through cybercrime ecosystems. (CBC) Europol said in a statement that it tracked down those who paid to get into the compromised computers, which were used for webcam access, deploying ransomware and mining cryptocurrency. Wisniewski said that it was the first major cybercrime operation that he had heard of in B.C in a long time. "We have to increase the friction to make these crimes more difficult," he said. "And certainly, wondering if the police are going to knock on the door at any moment is a good deterrent." The cybersecurity expert said that cybercrime has increasingly been broken down into a marketplace, where some hackers gain access to computers and then other hackers buy those computers to install malware. "Very few people have the technical skills to do an attack from the very beginning and write their own viruses and malware for computers and carry it all the way on through to the money laundering at the end," he said. "It requires a chain of criminals working together in order to conduct these large-scale attacks that cause so much damage." The B.C. government, B.C. Libraries Co-operative, First Nations Health Authority and retailer London Drugs were among the organizations that suffered cyberattacks last year in the province.
