Technology

Global Ransomware Attacks, Demands and Payments Rose in Second Quarter According to Corvus Insurance Cyber Threat Report

Published

2 years ago

August 22, 2024

Q2 2024 Represents Second Most Global Ransomware Attacks Reported by Corvus in a Quarter, Average Ransom Demand Increases by 102%

BOSTON, Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Corvus Insurance , a wholly owned subsidiary of The Travelers Companies, Inc., today released its Q2 2024 Cyber Threat Report, Ransomware Season Arrives Early. Featuring data collected from ransomware leak sites, the report identified 1,248 ransomware victims in Q2, the second most the company has recorded in a single quarter.

During the quarter, new ransomware groups, including PLAY, Medusa, RansomHub, INC Ransom, BlackSuit and some additional lesser-known factions, led a series of attacks that eclipsed the first quarter of this year by 16% and the second quarter of 2023 by 8%. These new threat actors emerged following the takedown of LockBit and BlackCat by international law enforcement.

Ransomware Demands and Payouts on the Rise
Based on Corvus data, the Q2 report found that the average ransomware demand reached $1,571,667. That represents a quarterly increase of 102% and the highest figure Corvus has reported since the second quarter of 2022. The average ransom payment also reached a new high of $626,415.

According to the research, a company’s backup strategies can impact payouts. Businesses without robust backups are more than twice as likely to surrender to ransom demands during an attack. Conversely, organizations with effective backup strategies have incurred median claim costs 72% lower than their less-prepared counterparts.

Ransomware Operators Continue Evolving Tactics
Recognizing that many organizations possess valuable and sensitive information, ransomware operators have evolved their tactics by engaging in double-extortion schemes where operators encrypt data, exfiltrate it and then threaten to release it on the dark web. So far in 2024, data theft was involved in 93% of ransomware incidents observed by Corvus, up from 88% in 2023. Using double-extortion schemes, even organizations with secure backups may be forced to pay ransoms, often to prevent the exposure of stolen data.

“Data theft has become the technique employed by attackers to secure maximum payouts from their victims, whether or not they have secure backups,” said Jason Rebholz, Chief Information Security Officer at Corvus Insurance. “A robust security plan is never one layer deep. While a sound backup strategy is important, it cannot mitigate these threats alone. Businesses must utilize a multi-layered security strategy based on a resilient environment with fast detection and prevention capabilities.”

Key Industry Trends: Construction Becomes the Most Frequently Targeted Industry in Q2
While the Corvus study found that industries most affected by ransomware attacks remained largely similar from the first quarter, Construction moved from second to first in the second quarter. In addition, Government and Oil and Gas joined the list, and ransomware attacks targeting the Software Development and IT Services and IT Consulting sectors were up 257% and 54%, respectively. RansomHub was responsible for 16% of the reported victims within the IT Services industry, followed by PLAY and BlackSuit, which accounted for an additional 18%.

To learn more, a webinar called “Q2 Cyber Threat Report: Ransomware Season Arrives Early” is scheduled for August 29 and will feature Corvus experts.

About Corvus Insurance
Corvus Insurance is building a safer world through insurance products and digital tools that reduce risk, increase transparency, and improve resilience for policyholders and program partners. Our market-leading specialty insurance products are enabled by advanced data science and include Smart Cyber Insurance® and Smart Tech E+O™. Our digital platforms and tools enable efficient quoting and binding and proactive risk mitigation. Corvus Insurance offers insurance products in the U.S., Middle East, Europe, Canada, and Australia. Corvus Insurance, Corvus London Markets, and Corvus Germany are the marketing names used to refer to Corvus Insurance Agency, LLC; Corvus Agency Limited; and Corvus Underwriting GmbH. All entities are subsidiaries of Corvus Insurance Holdings, Inc. Corvus Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Travelers Companies, Inc., was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with offices across the U.S., in the UK, and Germany. For more information, visit corvusinsurance.com .

Contact:
Kerry Pillion
kpillion@corvusinsurance.com

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SOURCE Corvus Insurance

Technology

VERNAL CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. ANNOUNCES PRICING OF $100 MILLION INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

Published

4 hours ago

May 6, 2026

NEW YORK, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vernal Capital Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: VECA) (“Vernal”) announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the “IPO”) of 10,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit. The units are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under “VECAU” beginning May 6, 2026. Each unit consists of one ordinary share and one right to receive one-fourth of one ordinary share upon consummation of an initial business combination. Upon separate trading, the ordinary shares and rights are expected to be listed on NYSE under “VECA” and “VECAR,” respectively.

D. Boral Capital LLC is acting as sole book-running manager of the offering. The underwriters have a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional units to cover any over-allotments. The offering is expected to close on May 7, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

A registration statement for these securities was declared effective by the SEC on May 5, 2026. The offering is made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained, from D. Boral Capital LLC, 590 Madison Ave., 39th Floor, New York, New York 10022, by telephone at (212) 970-5150 or by email at dbccapitalmarkets@dboralcapital.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or to buy, nor shall there be any sale where such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the applicable securities laws.

About Vernal

Vernal is a blank check company formed to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Vernal’s target search will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” including statements regarding Vernal’s IPO. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. No assurance can be given that the offering will be completed on the terms described, or at all. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, beyond Vernal’s control, including those in the Risk Factors section of Vernal’s registration statement filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Vernal disclaims any obligation to release publicly updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in Vernal’s expectations, except as required by law.

Contact

Binghan Yi, CFO
binghan@vernal.com
www.vernalspac.com

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SOURCE Vernal Capital Acquisition Corp.

Technology

RIVANNA nominated for MedTech Scale-Up of the Year at MedTech World Awards 2026 | North America

Published

5 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Nomination places the Charlottesville-based company among growth-stage medtech leaders recognized for commercial momentum in AI-powered clinical decision support; public voting is open through May 8

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RIVANNA®, developer of AI-powered clinical decision-support solutions, today announced that it has been nominated for MedTech Scale-Up of the Year at the MedTech World Awards 2026 | North America. Public voting is open through Friday, May 8, 2026, with category winners to be announced at the inaugural North American Awards Gala on May 11, 2026, at the Hilton West Palm Beach in Florida.

The MedTech Scale-Up of the Year category honors a growth-stage company successfully scaling revenues, partnerships, and adoption across the global medical technology ecosystem. Nominees across the program’s 22 categories were selected through a structured process led by the MedTech World Steering Committee, with category winners determined by a combination of expert evaluation and public voting from the global MedTech community.

“We have built RIVANNA on validation earned from the most rigorous technical buyers in healthcare: competitive federal awards translated into FDA-cleared products, each paired with a commercial program that meets clinicians where they work,” said Will Mauldin, PhD, Co-founder and CEO of RIVANNA. “Being nominated for MedTech Scale-Up of the Year is a meaningful affirmation of that approach and the team executing it.”

Public voting closes Friday, May 8, 2026. Members of the MedTech community are invited to support RIVANNA’s nomination at the official voting page: vote here.

The award nomination follows a year of measurable scaling for RIVANNA:

In October 2025, RIVANNA reported on being named a finalist in MedTech Innovator’s 2025 Early-Stage Grand Prize competition, selected from nearly 1,500 global applicants to represent the top 4% of medtech innovations worldwide.In December 2025, RIVANNA reported on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 510(k) clearance of its Accuro® 3S Needle Guide Kit consumables, building on existing Accuro 3S device clearance.In April 2026, RIVANNA reported on peer-reviewed findings, published in 2025 in the Journal of Emergency Medicine (DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2025.11.011), showing that the Accuro® XV musculoskeletal imaging system enables non-physician operators to acquire diagnostic-quality scans after just one hour of hands-on training.In May 2026, RIVANNA reported on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 510(k) clearance of the Accuro® XV Diagnostic Ultrasound System for musculoskeletal imaging, authorizing commercial use across hospital and clinic settings.The company’s clinical program now spans eight sites nationwide with more than 1,500 patients enrolled.

The 2026 MedTech World Awards | North America, powered by Blue Goat Cyber, will be presented Monday, May 11, 2026, at the inaugural North American Awards Gala at the Hilton West Palm Beach, marking the first time the MedTech World Awards have been hosted in the United States.

About the MedTech Scale-Up of the Year Award
Presented by MedTech World, the MedTech Scale-Up of the Year category recognizes growth-stage medical technology companies demonstrating strong commercial momentum, expanding partnerships, and accelerating real-world adoption. The award is one of 22 categories spanning innovation, clinical excellence, regulatory strategy, investment, and leadership across the global MedTech ecosystem.

About RIVANNA
RIVANNA® is a medical technology company developing clinical decision-support solutions powered by proprietary clinical datasets, AI models, and purpose-built imaging hardware. The company’s platform automates complex anatomical analysis at the point of care, enabling faster, more confident clinical decisions while reducing variability and expanding access to advanced capabilities. The first applications target significant market opportunities in regional anesthesia and fracture care. RIVANNA has built a proven FDA regulatory track record across its Accuro® platform, with device clearances for Accuro® 3S (spinal needle guidance) and Accuro® XV (musculoskeletal imaging), a portfolio of supporting cleared consumables, and AI software modules advancing through regulatory review. The company is backed by 100+ patents and validated through clinical partnerships with leading academic medical centers. RIVANNA is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, and operates an FDA-registered, ISO 13485:2016-certified manufacturing facility. Learn more at rivannamedical.com.

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SOURCE RIVANNA

Technology

D2L Launch Week Highlights Latest Product Releases

Published

5 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Latest innovations are designed to save time, simplify workflows, and help drive better learning outcomes

TORONTO, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – D2L, a global leader in learning innovation, hosted its first-ever D2L Launch Week, a four-day virtual webinar series spotlighting the company’s latest product innovations across D2L Brightspace in 2026.

Throughout the week, D2L showcased a range of product releases through live demos and practical customer use cases, highlighting how institutions, school districts and organizations can help to drive engagement and improve learning outcomes. The featured updates include enhancements to D2L Lumi for idea generation, intervention suggestions, quiz creation and summarization; tools to strengthen parent and guardian outreach; and administrative capabilities designed to help large organizations delegate course and configuration management more effectively.

“We’re proud to showcase the ways D2L continues to innovate to help make learning more personalized, efficient, and scalable,” said Christian Pantel, Chief Product Officer at D2L. “From new D2L Lumi features to enhanced communication tools and more flexible distributed administration capabilities, these updates are designed to help our customers save time, improve usability, and deliver better learning experiences at scale.”

Enhancements to D2L Lumi

Among the new capabilities were several updates to D2L’s AI-native tool, D2L Lumi, designed to improve usability, transparency, and alignment across workflows, including:

D2L Lumi Ideas: Generates assignment and discussion ideas directly within Brightspace, making it easier to generate high quality content aligned to learning outcomes.D2L Lumi Insights: Gives educators access to learning intervention suggestions, designed to provide recommended next steps based on learner data.D2L Lumi Quiz: Helps educators generate questions from multiple course content topics and includes a more streamlined question-generation workflow.D2L Lumi Summary: Supports summarization from more content sources, including nested submodules, and can give educators the ability to preview and adjust source text before summarization.

Updates to Parent and Guardian Communications

D2L also introduced new parent and guardian communication enhancements to help K-12 educators strengthen engagement beyond the classroom. Teachers can now send bulk emails to all parents and guardians associated with students in their class. For individual student outreach, teachers can also email parents and guardians of a specific learner, making it easier to share timely updates on student progress and classroom activity.

Manage Distributed Administration at Scale

Distributed Administration gives organizations more flexibility to delegate administrative responsibilities across organization levels. With Distributed Administration, administrators can manage specific areas, enabling them to oversee courses while helping to reduce bottlenecks and free up time.

Learn more about the latest product releases showcased at D2L Launch Week.

About D2L
D2L is transforming the way the world learns, helping learners achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with customers all over the world, D2L is on a mission to make learning more inspiring, engaging and human. Find out how D2L helps transform lives and delivers outstanding learning outcomes in K-12, higher education and businesses.

The D2L family of companies includes D2L Inc., D2L Corporation, D2L Ltd, D2L Australia Pty Ltd, D2L Europe Ltd, D2L Asia Pte Ltd, D2L India Pvt Ltd, D2L Brasil Soluções de Tecnologia para Educação Ltda and D2L Sistemas de Aprendizaje Innovadores, S. D2 R.L de C.V., and H5P Group AS.

All D2L and H5P marks are owned by the D2L group of companies. Please visit D2L.com/trademarks for a list of D2L marks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE D2L