It seems like every week we hear about a major company or government agency suffering a data breach. It is so common that most of us no longer even blink when we read about a customer database being compromised, or a news outlet announcing that a popular website has been hacked.

“With today’s cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated and frequent, we’re seeing that more and more companies have been targeted,” said Jyoti Bansal, CEO of SonicWall. “The fact that more than a billion emails now contain malware is a huge concern, with the average cost to an organization being $10 million. It’s a disturbing scenario that requires an equally consistent response – the only solution to protect the business is to adopt a multi-layered security approach that combines advanced threat protection with real-time threat intelligence.” The report also found that:

  • Ransomware attacks increased by 671% between 2016 and 2021.
  • In 2021 alone, there were over 2 billion emails containing malware.
  • Attackers are increasingly targeting email as the primary attack vector. In 2021, 60% of ransomware attacks were via email attachments.

According to the report, North America saw the greatest number of malware infections at nearly 50%, but only saw a 32% increase in attacks. Most of the world saw at least a 50% increase in cyber threats. The healthcare industry saw a 755% increase in ransomware attacks in 2021, the 2022 Cyber Threat Report said, while government agencies were hit by 1,885% more attacks.

What’s more, the report states that “cyber criminals are targeting healthcare to the tune of $6 billion a year in losses. The report highlights the importance of cybersecurity tools, especially in the wake of attacks on companies such as FedEx, Merck and Mondelez last year. “It’s about being continuously aware of protecting your data,” said Dr. Marios Savvides, chief technology officer at SonicWall.”It is also about being able to move fast when necessary — without sacrificing user experience — so you can regain control of your endpoints and networks quickly.”

A portion of the report focuses on how cyberattacks are changing, and how cybersecurity professionals must change with it. Savvides told ABC News that the cybersecurity landscape is evolving in that criminals are developing new ways to get into users’ systems.”Attackers are trying to find ways that might not be detected by standard security systems.