Seoul, Dec 26 (IANS): The number of cyberthreats rose more than 60 per cent in 2022 from a year earlier on increased ransomware attacks, government data showed on Monday.

A total of 1,045 cyberattacks were reported to the authorities in the first 11 months of this year, up from 640 cases tallied last year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Out of the total, 303 cases, or 29 per cent, were ransomware-related attacks, a type of malware that encrypts the victim's files and demands a ransom payment.

Nearly 90 per cent of the ransomware victims were small and midsized enterprises, and only 41.8 per cent of them had systems that could defend against ransomware attacks, the data added.

The government data also showed that the number of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks was also on a steady rise with 48 cases, up sharply from nine a year ago.

The ICT ministry said global hackers are expected to increase cyberattacks against countries' vital telecommunications infrastructure and large firms next year amid the protracted Russia-Ukraine war.

It asked local companies and individuals to beef up vigilance against possible cyberthreats, and prepare proper backup systems and restoring processes.