"Companies Caught off Guard by Holiday and Weekend Ransomware Attacks"

Ransomware attackers are taking advantage of organizations having fewer security personnel available on weekends and holidays in order to launch more devastating attacks. According to a new Cybereason report, 44 percent of businesses reduce security staffing by up to 70 percent during holidays and weekends compared to weekday levels. Twenty-one percent cut staff by up to 90 percent. The study, which was based on a survey of over 1,200 cybersecurity professionals, discovered that attacks on weekends and holidays result in higher costs and revenue losses for organizations than attacks on weekdays. More than one-third of respondents who experienced a ransomware attack during the weekend or holiday report that their organizations lost more money, a 19 percent increase from 2021. Thirty-four percent of respondents whose organizations were attacked on a weekend or holiday say it took them longer to assemble their incident response team. Thirty-seven percent say it took them longer to assess the scope of the attack, and 36 percent say it took them longer to stop and recover from the attack. In the US, 44 percent of respondents said it took them longer to assess and respond to a weekend/holiday ransomware attack. The survey results show that traditional Monday through Friday staffing models are out of step with cyber threats and can leave organizations vulnerable. A ransomware attack has caused 88 percent of respondents to miss a holiday or weekend celebration. In addition, more than 90 percent of respondents in the financial services industry say they have missed out on family time. This article continues to discuss the impact of weekend/holiday ransomware attacks on companies.  

BetaNews reports "Companies Caught off Guard by Holiday and Weekend Ransomware Attacks"