Average ransomware demand has doubled in 2016 - Symantec

Vendor claims average amount of money demanded from ransomware cybercriminals has risen to $679 this year

The average ransomware demand has more than doubled since the turn of the year, according to Symantec.

The security vendor claims the average demand was $294 (£225) at the end of 2015, but this has now jumped to $679.

2015 was also a record year for the number of new ransomware families, with Symantec logging 100 new strains.

The Symantec Ransomware and Businesses 2016 report stated: "The perfection of the ransomware business model has created a goldrush mentality among attackers, as growing numbers seek to cash in.

"The past 12 months have seen ransomware reach a new level of maturity and menace. Major ransomware gangs are capable of pushing their malware to millions of computers.

"Users who are hit with ransomware find their valuable data locked with strong, often unbreakable encryption."

Between January 2015 and April 2016 the US was the region most hit by ransomware, accounting for 31 per cent of all attacks globally.

The UK was in the top 10 alongside Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Belgium India, and Australia.

The report states that consumers are the most likely victims, with 57 per cent of all victims in the same period being members of the public. The other 43 per cent consisted of company employees.

High-profile ransomware victims include the Hollywood Presbyterial Medical Center, which in February this year paid out $17,000 to retrieve its patient data.