"Ransomware: Average Ransom Payout Increases to $41,000"

In a new study it has been found that in the third quarter of 2019, the average ransom amount paid was $41,198, an increase of 13 percent compared to the second quarter and a nearly six-fold increase from the third quarter of 2018. The five most-targeted industries in the third quarter were professional services, the public sector, healthcare, software services and retail.  The researchers believe that the increase in ransomware payments is due to increased ransom demands being made by attackers who wield Ryuk, with the average demand increasing from $267,742 in Q2 to $377,026 in Q3.   51 percent of the intrusions in the third quarter traced to attackers accessing its network stolen remote desktop protocol credentials. Another 39 percent of ransomware outbreaks traced to phishing and 8 percent to a software vulnerability exploited by attackers.

Bank Info Security reports: "Ransomware: Average Ransom Payout Increases to $41,000"