Ransomware attacks on specific targets have increased by 767 percent, with India being one of the most common targets.

 According to a new survey, ransomware attacks on high-profile targets such as businesses, government agencies, and local organisations increased by 767 percent in one year (from 2019 to 2020).

In recent years, targeted ransomware attacks have become a major concern around the world, especially for organisations and businesses in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in India.

"In 2020, a targeted ransomware community infiltrated at least 61 organisations in the area. The top two countries in APAC with the highest number of incidents are Australia and India "Chris Connell, Kaspersky's Managing Director, said (APAC).

According to cyber security firm Kaspersky, the rise in targeted ransomware coincided with a 29% decrease in the total number of users affected by any form of ransomware, with WannaCry still being the most commonly encountered family.

Targeted ransomware attacks are more sophisticated (network compromise, reconnaissance and persistence, or lateral movement) and pay out substantially more money.

The number of users who were infected with targeted ransomware rose by 767 percent from 2019 to 2020.

WannaCry, the ransomware Trojan that first emerged in 2017 and caused at least $4 billion in damages across 150 countries, is now the most commonly encountered ransomware family among users.

In 2019, nearly 22% of users who were infected with ransomware got WannaCry, but that number dropped to 16% in 2020.

"We'll probably see less and less large-scale projects aimed at regular people. That isn't to suggest that users aren't still vulnerable "Fedor Sinitsyn, a Kaspersky security expert, agreed.

"However, the primary emphasis will most likely remain on businesses and large organisations, which means ransomware attacks will continue to evolve and become more disruptive," he added.

Following large-scale outbreaks including WannaCry and Cryptolocker in the 2010s, the ransomware threat (when attackers encrypt private information and demand a ransom) became popular news.