The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services posted an alert last week warning healthcare organizations of an “exceptionally aggressive” ransomware group that is known to target the sector.

Ransomware criminals last year targeted companies in the Americas in 60% of their attacks and demanded on average $2.2 million from their victims, a 144% increase compared with 2020, Palo Alto Networks said.

The December ransomware attack against workforce management company Ultimate Kronos Group hindered the ability of its customers to process payrolls. The attack, which has far-reaching ramifications, has stakeholders looking for who is to blame.

The costs exceeded the company's insurance coverage. The firm recorded $24 million in unrecoverable net losses related to the attack as of the March 1 filing of the 10-K.

Ransomware-related payments by organizations reached nearly $600 million in the first half of 2021, compared to $416 million during the same time in 2020, according to the Treasury.

Even though some of the groups have recently disbanded or rebranded, the ransomware tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) they use are continuing to be used by threat actors around the world.

While the U.S. government is working to make the crypto space more transparent, the Secret Service has the same technical capabilities to pursue and seize cryptocurrencies.