Ransomware attacks like WannaCry that crippled the NHS in 2017 have halved in the UK in the past year
- Ransomware attacks fell by 59 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017, says experts
- WannaCry cost the NHS £100 million and wreaked havoc on parts of the system
- However, malware in the UK rose by 57 per cent overall compared to last year
- Encrypted threats hitting UK businesses also increased by 27 per cent this year
Ransomware attacks in the UK have more than halved in the last year, according to a global cyber security firm.
In particular, attacks with London as a target fell 99 per per cent from just over four million in 2017 to 27,630 in 2018.
Ransomware makes it near-impossible to regain control of data stored on affected devices unless a ransom is paid, which is hugely disruptive to businesses.
One of the most notorious cases to hit the UK was the WannaCry attack in May 2017, impacting parts of the NHS.
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In the UK, attacks fell by 59 per cent in 2018 compared to the year before, SonicWall data suggests.
London experienced a sharp 99 per cent drop, from just over four million in 2017 to only 27,630 in 2018, putting the capital’s numbers below that of Manchester, where 168,201 cases were detected.
Bill Conner, SonicWall chief executive, said: ‘Cyber criminals look for easy targets with rich pickings and they like to focus on future gains.
‘For the UK, there is some rare good news in the world of cyber security. ‘This would suggest recent attacks, like the one which cost the NHS £100 million ($132million), have woken up the nation’s IT pros.’
The reduction puts London as the sixth most ransomware-attacked city in Europe, a fall from number two in 2017.
Ransomware eclipsed most other forms of cybercrime as on-line crime surged in 2017, European policing agency Europol said on Wednesday, citing high-profile attacks such as ‘WannaCry’ that reached millions of computers. Stock image
Malware, the wider type of malicious software designed to damage PCs and IT systems, has grown across the world by more than a fifth, with 10 billion recorded attacks last year.
Incidents of malware remain high in London, with more than 23 million attacks identified, but the number has decreased by 45 million year on year, moving London from the second most malware-ridden city in Europe to the fourth.
However, malware in the UK overall is up and the company also found a 27 per cent increase in encrypted threats hitting UK businesses in 2018 compared to 2017.
‘This is a cyber war, not a battle, and it’s essential we don’t get ahead of ourselves,’ Mr Conner warned.
‘Overall, malware is up in the UK by 57 per cent, which proves as soon as you solve one issue, nation states and criminals have powerful incentives to launch a different attack. This is no time for complacency.’
