Ransomware Attacks Surge Across US, Southeast Asia in 2024

Ransomware was the most pervasive cyber threat to U.S. critical infrastructure in 2024, with complaints rising 9% from the previous year, according to the FBI. Nearly half of all ransomware complaints reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center involved critical infrastructure sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, government, financial services, and IT. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) highlighted that the incapacitation or destruction of these sectors could have a debilitating impact on public health and security. Despite international law enforcement efforts to disrupt ransomware operators, the number of incidents and financial losses continued to grow, with cyber and scam-related losses totaling a record $16.6 billion in 2024—a 33% increase over 2023. The Medusa ransomware variant alone was linked to attacks on more than 300 critical infrastructure victims since 2021. Authorities warn that these figures likely underestimate the true extent of cyber-enabled fraud and ransomware's impact.