According to the US Securities Exchange Commission, an increasing number of companies are identifying ransomware as a forward-looking risk factor in documents filed with the agency. The agency states that in the past year, more than 1,000 documents mentioning ransomware as a risk factor have been filed. Over 700 have already been filed in the first few months of 2020. Companies that listed ransomware as a potential security risk over the past two days alone include American Airlines, McDonald’s, and Alphabet.
The US Securities Exchange Commission receives files listing ransomware as a threat in annual reports, quarterly reports, special event filings, and registration forms. Companies are increasingly aware of the risk that ransomware poses to their operations, which may account for the recent uptick in mentions in SEC reports.
Read More: Ransomware mentioned in 1,000+ SEC filings over the past year