March ransomware attacks strike finance, government targets

As tensions rose globally surrounding further armed conflicts and potential cyberconflicts stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. saw a continued wave of ransomware attacks both in the public and private sectors.

Following the invasion in late February, the Conti ransomware gang issued a statement supporting the Russian government and threatening attacks against Western nations, including the U.S. While the White House recently warned that the Russian government was exploring possible cyber attacks against the U.S., there wasn’t a significant increase in reported ransomware attacks for March.

Editor’s note: SearchSecurity tracks ransomware disclosures and public reports each month. This does not include purported attacks claimed by ransomware gangs that have not been confirmed by the victim or corroborated through other means.

However, March 2022 showed no signs that ransomware groups are slowing, either. SearchSeccurity tracked 28 reports and disclosures of ransomware attacks last month, including attacks against major financial service companies and public entities that left hundreds of thousands of potential victims.