New research by Keeper Security and Ivanti shows organizations have a long way to go in protecting themselves from ransomware and phishing attacks.

Before their organization suffered an attack, nearly one-third of employees had never heard of the word ransomware. That’s according to Keeper Security’s new 2021 Ransomware Impact Report.

The report goes on to confirm that the entry point for about half of ransomware incidents was a phishing email. That’s a frightening indication of how lack of awareness remains an Achilles heel for too many organizations. After surveying 2,000 U.S. employees, the report looks at the crippling domino effects felt by companies targeted by ransomware attacks.

Remote Work Increases Phishing Attacks

And speaking of phishing, Ivanti’s new survey shows the global shift to remote work has exacerbated the onslaught, sophistication and impact of phishing attacks. Ivanti surveyed more than 1,000 enterprise IT professionals across the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and Japan.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents said their organizations have fallen victim to a phishing attack in the last year. Furthermore, 40% confirmed they have experienced one in the last month.

Ivanti’s Chris Goettl

Chris Goettl is Ivanti’s senior director of product management.

“These findings demonstrate that anyone can be tricked into tapping a link, and divulging their username and password by a sophisticated social engineering attack,” he said.

Many respondents blamed successful attacks on a lack of understanding, according to Ivanti. Furthermore, only 30% said the majority of employees actually completed the cybersecurity awareness training their company offers.

Our slideshow above features more on the Keeper Security and Ivanti research findings.