In its Mid-Year Cyberthreat Report published on August 24, 2022, cybersecurity firm Acronis reports that ransomware continues to plague businesses and governmental agencies, primarily through phishing campaigns.

According to the report over 600 malicious email campaigns were launched in the first half of 2022, with the goal of stealing credentials to launch ransomware attacks. Other attack vectors included vulnerabilities to cloud-based networks, targeting unpatched or software vulnerabilities, and cryptocurrency and decentralized finance systems.

According to Acronis, “ransomware is worsening, even more so than we predicted.” It estimates that global damages related to ransomware attacks will top $30 billion by 2023.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.