Average ransom demand rose 144% to $2.2 million. Average payment rose 78% percent to $541,010. Posts on name-and-shame Dark Web leak sites climbed 85%.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.

, /PRNewswire/ -- Ransomware payments hit new records in 2021 as cybercriminals increasingly turned to Dark Web "leak sites" where they pressured victims to pay up by threatening to release sensitive data, according to research released today from Unit 42 by Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), the global cybersecurity leader.

The average ransom demand in cases worked by Unit 42 incident responders rose 144% in 2021 to $2.2 million, while the average payment climbed 78% to $541,010, according to . The most affected industries were Professional and Legal Services, Construction, Wholesale and Retail, Healthcare, and Manufacturing.

"In 2021, ransomware attacks interfered with everyday activities that people all ...