According to a recent survey conducted by cybersecurity organization Proofpoint, ransomware is viewed by chief information security officers (CISOs) as currently posing the biggest cyber threat to companies. CISOs and chief security officers (CSOs) are responsible for keeping organizations safe from cyberattacks, hacking, and online threats. The survey found that these employees responsible for avoiding cyberattacks are the most afraid of ransomware hitting their networks.

Proofpoint found that roughly half of CSOs and CISOs interviewed stated that ransomware or similar forms of extortion by outsiders represent the most critical cybersecurity threat. Ransomware also continues to be one of the most damaging and destructive cyber attack types, with attackers typically encrypting entire systems and threatening to release private stolen data.

Read More: Ransomware is now the biggest cybersecurity concern for CISOs