Impact of Compromised Backups on Ransomware Outcomes

This document is a whitepaper that analyzes the impact of compromised backups on ransomware outcomes, based on a survey of 2,974 organizations affected by ransomware in the past year. The report outlines two primary recovery methods during ransomware attacks: restoring from backups and paying the ransom. It details how compromised backups significantly increase the likelihood of paying the ransom and result in higher overall recovery costs. The findings indicate that organizations with compromised backups are almost twice as likely to pay the ransom and face recovery costs that are eight times higher than those with intact backups. The survey also reveals that 94% of organizations experienced attempts to compromise their backups during attacks, with a success rate of 57% across all sectors. Recommendations for organizations include securing backups, practicing recovery processes, and implementing multi-factor authentication to mitigate risks associated with ransomware attacks.