Dive Brief:
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The number of internet users that encountered encrypting ransomware more than doubled in Q3 2016, according to data from Kaspersky Lab released Thursday.
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Kaspersky’s quarterly IT threat evolution report reported 821,865 victims of ransomware in Q3.
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The number of people attacked by ransomware has consistently risen throughout 2016.
Dive Insight:
Kaspersky discovered Trojan-Downloader.JS.Cryptoload — a group of Javascript-based downloaders — were primarily responsible for the rise in ransomware victims.
"Crypto ransomware continues to be one of the most dangerous threats, both to private users and to businesses," said Fedor Sinitsyn, ransomware expert at Kaspersky Lab.
Sinitsyn added that because security companies have increased the speed at which they detect intrusions, criminals are creating new modifications of malware more quickly.
Given the proliferation of malware and ransomware, it’s more important than ever for businesses to ensure employees are trained to recognize and avoid them.
