According to stats released by US-based cyber security firm Coveware, the average ransom paid out to cyber criminals was $12,762 in Q1 2019, an 89% increase as compared to Q4 2018 ($6,733). The increase reflects more virulent malware being utilised, such as Ryuk, Bitpaymer and lencrypt. These types of ransomware are predominantly used in bespoke targeted attacks on larger enterprises, said Coveware.