THE UK's manufacturing sector is the prime target for ransomware attacks, according to data from Palo Alto Networks' threat intelligence arm, Unit 42, seen by City A.M.

In 2023, manufacturers bore the brunt of ransomware assaults, accounting for 17.2 per cent of all attacks, totalling 45 incidents.

They are particularly at risk due to their low tolerance for operational disruption, which can negatively impact production, cyber security company Palo Alto said.

With only one fewer incident last year, professional and legal services followed closely behind, suffering 16.9 per cent of ransomware attacks, as cybercriminals targeted sensitive data.

In 2023, the first year the study was conducted, 261 ransomware attacks targeted UK organisations.

The UK's tech and education sectors experienced 8.4 per cent of attacks.

Palo Alto Networks recently released a separate report, revealing that the frequency of cyber assaults on UK companies has surged, with attacks occurring on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis for 76 per cent of respondents.

(c) 2024 City A.M., source Newspaper