"Many IT Pros Don't Think a Ransomware Attack Can Impact Microsoft 365 Data"
Hornetsecurity surveyed more than 2,000 IT leaders, 24 percent of which have been victims of a ransomware attack, with 20 percent of attacks occurring in the last year. Cyberattacks are becoming more common. According to last year's Hornetsecurity ransomware survey, 21 percent of businesses were attacked. This year, it increased by 3 percent to 24 percent. The report highlighted a lack of understanding about the security options available to businesses as 25 percent of IT professionals are either unaware or believe that a ransomware attack cannot affect Microsoft 365 data. Moreover, 40 percent of IT professionals who use Microsoft 365 in their organization admitted that they do not have a recovery plan in place in the event that their Microsoft 365 data is compromised during a ransomware attack. Microsoft 365 is vulnerable to phishing and ransomware attacks, but with the assistance of third-party tools, IT administrators can securely backup their Microsoft 365 data and protect themselves from such attacks, according to Daniel Hofmann, CEO of Hornetsecurity. Industry responses revealed a general lack of preparedness among IT professionals and businesses. There has been an increase in the number of businesses that do not have a disaster recovery plan in place in the event of a cyberattack. In 2021, 16 percent of respondents said they did not have a disaster recovery plan. Despite the increase in attacks, this increased to 19 percent in 2022. Of the businesses that were attacked, 21 percent either paid up or lost data. Hackers have an incentive to carry out these ransomware attacks because there is a good chance of getting paid. This article continues to discuss key findings from Hornetsecurity's 2022 Ransomware Report.