The ransomware space was very active in the last quarter of 2021, with 722 distinct attacks deploying 34 different variants. LockBit 2.0 (29.7%), Conti (19%), PYSA (10.5%), and Hive were the most prevalent ransomware groups. North America was the most targeted region, accounting for almost half of all attacks by the ransomware operations. The FBI recently warned that ransomware gangs commonly target companies during mergers and acquisitions to further apply pressure during negotiations. In many cases, the targeted companies are purely opportunistic in nature, where ransomware gangs simply attack whoever they can gain access to.”]