Ransomware exposed more than 166 million records in 2024 in the U.S., research finds

Ransomware continued to be a thorny problem for companies and the sensitive of records of their customers in 2024. Companies paid around $127 million. (c) ConsumerAffairs

The average paid ransom was $12.7 million

Ransomware attacks exposed the sensitive information of tens of millions of Americans in 2024.

There were 610 confirmed ransomware attacks that compromised 166,426,225 records in the U.S. in 2024, down from 243,950,595 records in 2023, according to data provided to ConsumerAffairs by cyberecurity researchers Comparitech.

Ransomware is when criminals plant malicious software in a network to lock an organization out of valuable information and then demand payment to regain access under threat of publishing the data.

Companies paid around $127 million to ransomware criminals in 2024, an average of $12.7 million for each attack.

By records, the industries with that suffered the most from ransomware attacks in 2024 were in healthcare, followed by finance, technology, utilities and food and beverage.

The ransomware gang named "Play" carried out the most confirmed attacks with 49, followed by followed by "LockBit" with 40, "Medusa" with 37, "BlackSuit" with 33 and "INC" with 33.

Change Healthcare suffered the biggest ransomware attack by far in 2024 with around 100 million records exposed. It paid $22 million to the criminals, Comparitech said.

What were the 10 biggest ransomware attacks by records in 2024?

1. Change Healthcare

  • Records: 100,000,000
  • Industry: Healthcare
  • Month: February
  • Ransom paid: Yes
  • Ransom amount: $22,000,000

2. Loan Depot

  • Records: 16,924,071
  • Industry: Finance
  • Month: No
  • Ransom paid: No
  • Ransom amount: Unknown

3. Evolve Bank & Trust

  • Records: 7,640,112
  • Industry: Finance
  • Month: May
  • Ransom paid: No
  • Ransom amount: Unknown

4. Ascension

  • Records: 5,599,699
  • Industry: Healthcare
  • Month: May
  • Ransom paid: Unknown
  • Ransom amount: Unknown

5. Financial Business and Consumer Solutions

  • Records: 4,253,394
  • Industry: Finance
  • Month: February
  • Ransom paid: Unknown
  • Ransom amount: Unknown

6. Acadian Ambulance

  • Records: 2,896,985
  • Industry: Healthcare
  • Month: June
  • Ransom paid: No
  • Ransom amount: $7,000,000

7. Prudential Insurance

  • Records: 2,556,210
  • Industry: Finance
  • Month: February
  • Ransom paid: Unknown
  • Ransom amount: Unknown

8. Rite Aid

  • Records: 2,200,000
  • Industry: Retail
  • Month: June
  • Ransom paid: Unknown
  • Ransom amount: Unknown

9. Summit Pathology and Summit Pathology Laboratories

  • Records: 1,813,538
  • Industry: Healthcare
  • Month: April
  • Ransom paid: Unknown
  • Ransom amount: Unknown

10. OnePoint Patient Care

  • Records: 1,741,152
  • Industry: Healthcare
  • Month: August
  • Ransom paid: Unknown
  • Ransom amount: Unknown