A new report by NordLocker has revealed that April is the most dangerous month of the year for ransomware attacks.
NordLocker is an encryption tool that helps to store and share files and documents securely.
The study, which analyzed ransomware incidents between 2020 and 2023, found that 294 attacks occurred in April 2022 alone, making it the month with the most attacks in the entire year.
US and German companies were the primary targets of these attacks, with the manufacturing and finance industries being hit the hardest.
Last year, there were a total of 2,263 ransomware attacks, with the US experiencing the highest number of attacks at 896.
The UK, Germany, Canada, and Italy also saw significant numbers of attacks on their businesses, with nearly 2,000 companies affected worldwide.
In one month alone, 20 ransomware groups attacked 192 companies globally.
NordLocker’s research found that companies with 11-50 employees were the most affected by cybersecurity breaches, with 80% of cases coming from the private sector.
The manufacturing industry was hit particularly hard, with 26 cyberattacks in April 2022, while the finance and tech sectors were also heavily targeted.
Head of business development for NordLocker, Darius Borisas emphasized the importance of businesses taking steps to protect themselves from ransomware attacks.
“We are continuously encouraging companies to take action and reduce their chances of becoming victims of cybercrime. In a ransomware attack, companies can find themselves in a challenging situation when faced with a ransomware demand — often having no choice but to pay up or lose access to their data forever,” said Mr Borisas.
Mr Borisas also outlined some easy-to-implement cybersecurity practices that require little to no investment. These include backing up and encrypting files, adopting zero-trust network access, training employees, and keeping software up to date.
With cybersecurity experts predicting a further rise in ransomware attacks in the coming years, it is crucial for businesses to take steps to protect themselves.