One in three ransomware victims suffer data loss

Users are generally unaware of the dangers of ransomware attacks, and that makes them mostly clueless about how to prepare for one. This is according to a new report by Acronis.

The report is based on a survey conducted in the US, UK, Australia, Germany, France and Japan. With users being as they are, ransomware was quick to become one of the most serious malware threats out there. It is expected that $5 billion will be extorted this year, alone.

And according to former FBI counter-terrorism operative Eric O’Neill, cyber criminals are attacking everyone, businesses and consumers included.

The survey has found that more than a third (34 percent) have experienced data loss. More than a quarter (26 percent) do not back up their data, and those that do consider security, ease of use, and storage capacity as the most important features in a backup solution.

"This survey exposed a serious disparity between the value assigned to respondent data and what is actually being done to protect that data," says John Zanni, CMO of Acronis. "This is true for both the consumer market and for businesses."

"Backup still remains the most effective vaccine against data loss. Creating a backup before disaster strikes is much more efficient and cost effective than looking for a cure when your data is lost. Affordable backup software is readily available, so there is no excuse for losing your data or exposing it to cyber criminals and ransomware attacks."

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