Malicious software, or malware, is a scourge for computer systems everywhere. Analysts say there are more than 1 billion of these programs in the wild, infecting systems, stealing data and money, corrupting files, compromising identities and more.
A marked reduction in ransomware attacks last year seemed to signal that security teams and law enforcement officials had turned the tide against their cyber adversaries. That optimism was premature. The first half of 2023 has seen record numbers of ransomware attacks featuring much larger ransom demands, shifting data targets, and frequent use of double- and triple-extortion tactics.