Final quarter of 2020 sees massive spike in ransomware The last quarter of 2020 saw a 10,000 percent increase in ransomware activity according to a new report from managed security services provider Nuspire. The company s latest Year in Review Threat Landscape Report sourced from its 90 billion traffic logs outlines new cybercriminal activity and tactics, techniques and procedures. Ransomware operators targeted some of the most vulnerable moments of the year, including the US election and the holidays, as well as year-long themes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, exploit attacks saw a huge 68 percent increase in Q4 as a result of numerous SMB brute force login attempts, activity spiked over 90,000 percent in bursts throughout the quarter.