SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --  (NYSE: PANW), the global cybersecurity leader, today released a commissioned with the Center for Digital Government (CDG), highlighting the extent of the ransomware threat for U.S. state, local and educational organizations. Key findings show nearly 80% of state and local IT leaders believe ransomware is an ongoing threat to their organizations, and it won't diminish anytime soon, yet less than half of the respondents (47%) currently have a ransomware incident response plan.

The survey of state, local and educational IT officials found that overall concerns about ransomware attacks are high, and the threat is unlikely to decrease over the next 12 to 18 months. However, respondents reported that their organizations may not be prepared enough to protect against the increasing volume and sophistication of ransomware attacks.

"With a wide attack surface ...