A report by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, also known as IC3, has found that healthcare and public health, critical manufacturing and government facilities are the top three critical infrastructure sectors that were affected by ransomware attacks in 2023.
The healthcare sector landed the top spot with a total of 249 complaints, followed by critical manufacturing at 218 and government facilities at 156.
“The IC3 received 1,193 complaints from organizations belonging to a critical infrastructure sector that were affected by a ransomware attack. Of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, IC3 reporting indicated 14 sectors had at least 1 member that fell to a ransomware attack in 2023,” the Internet Crime Report reads.
According to the report, Lockbit, ALPHV/Blackcat, Akira, Royal and Black Basta were the top five ransomware variants that had an impact on a member of a critical infrastructure sector in 2023.
There were 14,190 complaints of government impersonation received in 2023, generating losses of approximately $394 million.
Meanwhile, tech and customer support-related impersonation scams that were reported in the previous year reached at least 37,000 complaints with losses of about $924.5 million.
“Call centers overwhelmingly target older adults, with devastating effects. Almost half the complainants report to be Over 60 (40%), and experience 58% of the losses (over $770 million),” the report notes.
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