Most organizations range anywhere from "very" to "extremely" concerned about ransomware attacks, according to a new survey from email filtering service provider Hornetsecurity.
Key takeaways from Hornetsecurity's survey include:
- 93% of respondents said they believe ransomware protection is "very" to "extremely" important in terms of IT priorities for their organization.
- 91% protect their backups from ransomware.
- 75% cited endpoint detection software with anti-ransomware capabilities as the most common tool to combat ransomware.
- 54% said their leadership is "actively involved in conversations and decision-making" around preventing ransomware attacks.
- 40% said they are happy to "leave [ransomware] to IT to deal with the issue."
- 20% said their organization has been the victim of a ransomware attack, with 52% citing email/phishing as the main attack vector.
- 12% do not have a disaster recovery plan in place if a ransomware attack happens.
Security Awareness Training Is Key
Along with the previously mentioned takeaways, Hornetsecurity's survey highlighted the benefits of using security awareness training to teach employees about cyberattacks and the risks associated with them.
In the survey, 81% of respondents reported they received security training in 2023. Comparatively, 71% reported they had received training in 2021.
Furthermore, 96% of respondents who received security training in 2023 said they found it to be "useful," Hornetsecurity stated.
Tools Are Available to Combat Ransomware Attacks
Hornetsecurity's survey also provided insights into the most common tools that organizations utilize to protect against ransomware attacks, which is reflected in the following results:
- 88% of respondents said they use endpoint detection software with anti-ransomware capabilities.
- 84% said they utilize email filtration and threat analysis.
- 22% mentioned that they use AI-enabled security solutions to combat ransomware.
Meanwhile, survey respondents cited immutable storage (41%), tight control of user and application permissions (38%) and air-gapped storage (28%) as the most common security features that they use to protect their backups from ransomware, Hornetsecurity stated.
Cyber Threats Remain Prevalent
Fewer ransomware attacks have been reported in 2023 in contrast to previous years, Hornetsecurity CEO Daniel Hofmann said. However, the number of cyber threats that organizations face has not declined — and organizations must prepare accordingly.
Cybersecurity awareness is a "crucial element" to further reduce the risk of cyberattacks that can lead to data breaches, Hofmann noted. If organizations teach their employees about cyber threats, they can help these workers protect against such issues.
