Ransomware continued to fall in 2022, with volumes dipping to 493.3 million — a 21% year-over-year decrease. But less ransomware does not equal low ransomware: 2022’s total volume still easily eclipses 2018, 2019 and 2020 totals, and amounts to more ransomware attempts than 2019 and 2020 combined. Worryingly, ransomware began to rise again by the end of 2022, with Q4’s attack volume reaching 154.9 million — the highest since Q3 2021. Despite 2022’s global decrease, not every region saw a drop: ransomware in Europe jumped 83%, including a 112% increase in the U.K. The education and finance industries were also heavily targeted, with increases of 275% and 41%, respectively.

In 2022, SonicWall threat researchers recorded 5.5 billion malware attacks, a 2% increase year over year. While modest, this represents the reversal of a longstanding trend: 2022 is the first year since 2018 to see a rise. This was largely fueled by a 43% rise in cryptojacking and an 87% spike in IoT malware, which together offset a 21% drop in global ransomware volume. As attackers shift tactics, we’re also seeing a shift in targets: malware volume dropped in countries that traditionally see more malware, such as the U.S. (-9%), the U.K. (-13%) and Germany (-28%). The biggest jumps in malware volume were in the Asia-Pacific region (38%) and Latin America (17%), the two regions that typically see the least malware.

After a relatively stable 2021, IoT malware volume jumped dramatically in 2022, breaking the 100 million mark for the first time and setting a new yearly record. SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers recorded 112.3 million attacks in 2022, an 87% year-over-year increase. Much of this spike was centered in North America, where attacks rose 145%, and the U.S., which saw volumes rise 169%.