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In 2018, ransomware was a quaint little cyberattack. Suddenly, the first half of 2024 saw $459 million paid in ransomware. Everyone is being targeted: retailers in the UK, resellers in LA, and even the federal government can be included in the target for ransomware attackers.

Today, we sit down with Douglas Holland to see what role Akamai plays in preventing these rapidly proliferating attacks.

One of the strengths of Akamai is its ability to handle a wide range of internet activity, as Akamai processes 11 trillion DNS queries daily. This gives them a perfect perspective to identify troublesome sites and apply Domain Name Systems (DNS) to provide robust cybersecurity.

Douglas Holland puts this situation into perspective by noting that during the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people started using VPN technology, making systems vulnerable to phishing attacks.

He notes the rise of ransomware-as-a-service and phishing-as-a-service, emphasizing the importance of employee training and education.

Holland also addresses the challenges of VPNs and remote desktop security, advocating for zero-trust architectures and multi-factor authentication.

The interview ends with discussing the role of AI and machine learning in Akamai's threat protection.