The Largest Ransomware Attacks of 2021 [Infographic]

Posted September 6, 2022

According to the Department of Health and Human Services Ransomware Trends 2021 report and our own internal data, ransomware is on the rise. And according to research firm Cyber Security Ventures, a business will fall victim to a ransomware attack every 11 seconds this year.

In May of 2021, we witnessed the state-sponsored attack on Colonial Pipeline which represents the largest ever cyberattack in the US. The effects of the attack had a much broader impact than the ransom alone as the pipeline was shut down and fuel shortages stretched across the East coast. Thankfully the Colonial attack hasn’t been repeated. And thanks to the data analysts at Visual Capitalist, we have the below representation of other corporate attacks in 2021 ranked by the amount of ransom. Please note that dollar amounts in the data are amounts requested and not necessarily paid. The FBI still encourages businesses not to pay ransoms because every time a business pays, it encourages future attacks. Even after paying a business is not guaranteed to have its data restored or kept private.

We highlighted previously, that the average ransomware payments had been on a sharp rise in Q4 2020 to an average of $220,298. And the Ryuk/Conti ransomware cost hospitals over $500 million combined in 2022. While these smaller attacks easily dwarf larger attacks in aggregate dollar value, it’s the larger attacks that gain the headlines and create awareness. In fact, it’s impossible to know the actual size of all ransomware attacks as many still go unreported.

Forecasts from Grandview Research indicate the global cybersecurity market could grow from nearly $180bn in 2021 to more than $370bn by 2028. As a persistent global concern, cybersecurity affects every organization from large enterprises to small local businesses across all industries.

To learn more, review the 2022 State of Ransomware survey or contact us to make sure your data and systems are properly protected.

Kyle Vinar

Kyle Vinar is Partner / President of Verus Corporation. He oversees all business operations and coaches Verus teams to continually improve on their solutions from client experience to product development and overall solution implementation. He works with all Verus resources to increase efficiencies and excellence in every aspect of their organizational roles. Kyle believes that people are the last real competitive edge that a company can have and constructing a rich culture is a vital step in running a world-class organization. Therefore he strives to create a culture within Verus that allows everyone to show up authentically and grow both personally and professionally, which in turn allows Verus Corp team members to provide clients with top-of-the-line service. Kyle helps balance strategy, capacity, and culture in such a way that has allowed Verus Corp to achieve exponential growth since he joined the company in 2013. One of Kyle’s greatest professional achievements has been in helping lay the foundation upon which Verus Corporation could be named the 2nd Best Place to Work by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from St. Cloud State University. He lives in Champlin with his wife and 3 children. He has enjoyed volunteering as a soccer coach for over 6 years and was the former Director of Coaching for Rebels Soccer Club. If Kyle isn’t on the sidelines of one of his children’s soccer games or in the audience of his eldest’s musicals, he can often be found cruising scenic routes on his Harley, in a deer stand, or on the golf course.