Core Insights - The percentage of companies paying ransoms to hackers has significantly decreased, reaching a historic low of 23% in Q3 2023, down from 85% in 2019 [1][3] - The total ransom amount paid by companies has also dropped sharply, with a 66% quarter-over-quarter decline, totaling $376,941 (approximately 2.68 million RMB) in Q3 2023, and a median payment of $140,000 (approximately 996,000 RMB), which is a 65% year-over-year decrease [3] Industry Trends - Cybersecurity companies and IT professionals have made significant progress in preventing attacks and mitigating their impacts, contributing to the decline in ransom payments [1] - The report indicates that most hackers are using remote access services, such as virtual private networks, cloud gateways, and SaaS, to infiltrate companies, followed by phishing and social engineering tactics, with software vulnerabilities being the least common method [5] - Attackers have become more versatile in their methods, often employing a combination of techniques to increase their chances of successful infiltration [5]