Ransomware gangs were hyper-focused on organizations in the U.S. in the first half of 2022, according to a report released by LookingGlass Cyber Solutions on Monday.

Why it matters: The data underscores U.S. government officials' increasingly dire warnings about ransomware getting worse — despite officials' best efforts to squash the problem.

By the numbers: Ransomware gangs targeted 433 U.S. organizations between January and June this year, according to LookingGlass' report.

• That's more than five times the total of companies hit during the same period in the U.K., the second-most targeted country.

Between the lines: It's more likely that the U.S. remains high on the list because it's one of the wealthiest countries in the world, the report argues.

• Also, many ransomware gangs are based in Russia or other adversarial countries, making Western organizations likelier targets.
• "Ultimately, the key point to understand is that countries with stronger economies tend to be — but are not necessarily — more highly targeted by ransomware gangs," the report says.

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