Ransomware has become one of the most dangerous threats in the world of cybersecurity. From small businesses to global enterprises, no one is safe. Attackers are using smarter, faster, and more aggressive tactics, and the damage they leave behind can be brutal. This article walks you through 30 critical statistics that show just how serious ransomware has become—and more importantly, what you can do to protect yourself and your business. Each stat isn’t just a number; it’s a clear signal of where the threat is going and how you can stay one step ahead.
1. A ransomware attack occurs every 2 seconds globally as of 2024
This stat should make every business stop and think. An attack every 2 seconds means that by the time you’ve read this sentence, multiple businesses, hospitals, schools, or individuals were hit. Ransomware is no longer an occasional headline; it’s a relentless, ongoing event.
These attacks are automated and widespread. Cybercriminals use bots to scan for weak systems 24/7. Once they find a vulnerability, they strike—fast. They don’t care who you are. If they can encrypt your files and demand money, you’re a target.
Actionable advice: If you’re still treating cybersecurity as an “IT issue,” that needs to change. Start with a complete vulnerability scan of your systems. Make sure every update is applied, from your operating system to your plugins.
Train your staff regularly. Everyone on your team needs to know how to spot suspicious links and phishing emails. Use multi-factor authentication for all access points. And never assume you’re too small to be targeted—ransomware doesn’t discriminate.
2. The average ransom payment in 2023 was $1.54 million
That’s not pocket change. This isn’t just about a few encrypted files—it’s about your entire business grinding to a halt, clients walking away, and your brand taking a hit. The attackers know this. That’s why their demands are so high.
What’s more alarming is that these ransoms are often just the start of your expenses. You’ll still need to pay for recovery, new security tools, legal fees, and maybe even face lawsuits or regulatory penalties if personal data is involved.
Actionable advice: Make this simple—have an incident response plan. Know what you’ll do if you get hit. Have legal and cybersecurity experts on call. Back up your data regularly and keep those backups offline, away from your network.
Consider setting up a secure cloud backup that attackers can’t reach. Also, review your cyber insurance—make sure it covers ransomware attacks and that you understand what’s included.
3. Ransomware attacks increased by 72% from 2022 to 2023
This sharp rise shows that things are not getting better—they’re getting worse, fast. More attacks mean more victims, more money for hackers, and more advanced methods being developed.
This increase is partly because ransomware has become a business. There are organized groups now. Some even have customer service lines to negotiate payment. They’re constantly innovating, making each wave more dangerous than the last.
Actionable advice: You have to stay ahead of the curve. Update your security tools regularly. If you haven’t already, move beyond traditional antivirus software. Look into endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems, which give you more visibility and control.
Run red team-blue team drills so your staff and systems are tested in real-world scenarios. And stay informed. Subscribe to cybersecurity alerts from trusted sources so you know what new threats are out there.
4. 66% of organizations reported a ransomware attack in the past year
This isn’t a fringe issue anymore—it’s mainstream. If two out of three businesses got hit, the odds are high that you will too. And many of the remaining one-third may not even know they were attacked.
What’s even more disturbing is how often attackers come back for round two. Once you’ve paid, you’re seen as an easy target. Your business name may end up on lists sold on the dark web.
Actionable advice: Prevention is essential, but detection is equally important. Invest in network monitoring tools that alert you to suspicious behavior. If a system starts encrypting files rapidly, you want to know right away.
Also, keep a log of all access to your systems. If something doesn’t look right, investigate it. And again—keep those backups isolated.
5. 80% of ransomware victims who paid the ransom were targeted again
Paying doesn’t guarantee peace—it often invites more trouble. Why? Because attackers see you as someone who gives in. Once you’re marked as a payer, your name goes into underground forums and marketplaces, and other groups come looking for a payday too.
This cycle can be devastating. You think you’re solving the problem by paying, but you’re really starting a longer one.
Actionable advice: Avoid paying whenever possible. This is where preparation pays off. Have offline backups that can’t be touched during an attack. Test those backups regularly.
Make sure you can restore systems quickly. Also, review your recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO). Know how long it will take to get back up and how much data you can afford to lose.
6. The global cost of ransomware is projected to exceed $42 billion in 2024
This number includes more than ransom payments. It includes lost productivity, lost customers, downtime, legal issues, fines, and rebuilding costs.
And it’s only going to grow.
Think of it this way: every minute your systems are down, your business loses money. Every hour your brand is mentioned negatively in the press, trust erodes. That adds up fast.
Actionable advice: Treat cybersecurity as part of your core business strategy. Assign it a proper budget. Put it on board meeting agendas. Get your finance team involved and assign a dollar value to different types of risks.
Understanding the cost of inaction can help you prioritize the right security investments today.
7. 45% of ransomware attacks now involve data exfiltration
It’s not just about locking your files anymore. Now, attackers are stealing your sensitive data before they encrypt anything.
Then they use that data as extra leverage. If you don’t pay, they threaten to leak customer info, employee records, or confidential contracts.
This double-layer threat makes ransomware much more damaging. Even if you have backups, leaked data can lead to lawsuits, lost clients, and serious damage to your reputation.
Actionable advice: Encrypt your sensitive data before an attacker can. Use strong encryption protocols and keep data access on a need-to-know basis. Limit who can download or transfer files.
Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools that alert you if sensitive files are being moved or copied in suspicious ways. And make sure your team understands what data exfiltration means—because it’s not just an IT issue, it’s a company-wide risk.
8. Healthcare is the most targeted sector, with 75% of hospitals experiencing attacks
Healthcare systems are often older and harder to upgrade. They also store critical, sensitive data—and attackers know it. In a hospital, downtime isn’t just about money—it can affect patient lives. That pressure often pushes healthcare providers to pay quickly.
Medical records are incredibly valuable on the black market. A stolen patient record can fetch hundreds of dollars compared to just a few bucks for a credit card number.
Actionable advice: If you’re in healthcare, you need extra layers of protection. Start with network segmentation—don’t let one infected device take down the whole system.
Limit access to patient records using role-based access. And have a disaster recovery plan that includes non-digital workflows. If systems go down, your staff needs to know how to keep patients safe and operations running.
9. 60% of small businesses go out of business within six months of a ransomware attack
Small businesses often lack the resources to recover. They don’t have full-time IT teams, redundant systems, or PR experts to manage fallout. So when an attack hits, it can be fatal.
It’s not just the cost—it’s the chaos. Losing customer trust, facing data loss, or being unable to operate for even a few days can snowball quickly.
Actionable advice: Small businesses should focus on the basics. Use secure cloud services instead of managing everything in-house. Make regular backups and store copies offsite.
Educate employees on phishing, since that’s often the entry point. And use managed security services if you can’t hire a full-time team. A little investment upfront can be the difference between surviving and shutting down.
10. Only 8% of organizations recover all data after paying the ransom
This stat is the harsh truth behind many stories. Even when you pay, there’s no guarantee you’ll get your data back. Decryption tools might not work properly. Some files might be damaged. And attackers might lie about what they’ll return.
Worse, you’ve now trusted criminals to keep their word—and that’s a dangerous gamble.
Actionable advice: Make sure your backup strategy works. Don’t just set it and forget it. Test restores regularly. Know how long recovery will take and what steps are involved. Store copies in multiple places.
And consider using immutable storage that can’t be changed or deleted by ransomware. If the worst happens, you want to be able to hit “restore” and move forward without begging anyone for a decryption key.
11. Double extortion tactics are used in 70% of modern ransomware attacks
Double extortion is when attackers not only encrypt your files but also steal them. They then threaten to release that data publicly unless you pay. It’s an ugly evolution of ransomware, and it’s becoming the norm.
The problem with this tactic is that even if you restore your systems from backups, your stolen data could still be leaked. That could mean client contracts, employee records, financial information—out in the open.
Actionable advice: First, identify what data you store and where it lives. What would be most damaging if stolen? Secure those areas with extra layers of protection, like endpoint detection tools, stricter access policies, and internal firewalls.
Monitor data movement. If someone’s copying gigabytes of files off a server at midnight, you need to know. And finally, prepare for the possibility of leaks with a crisis communication plan. Know who to call, what to say, and how to respond publicly if data exposure occurs.
12. Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) accounted for 60% of attacks in 2023
Ransomware has become so widespread that criminals now rent it out. That’s what RaaS is—cybercriminals create ransomware packages and lease them to affiliates, who then carry out attacks.
This model has lowered the bar to entry, making it easy for even low-skill hackers to launch damaging attacks.
These affiliates are often driven by pure profit, so they’re aggressive and fast. And because they’re part of a network, one group may hit you right after another.
Actionable advice: The best way to fight this surge is to shrink your attack surface. Disable unused services and ports. Close any remote desktop connections that don’t need to be open. Lock down admin rights to only those who truly need them.
Patch software as soon as updates are available. Every extra layer you add makes it harder for these “rented” ransomware tools to succeed. And as always, train your team—because the human element is often the easiest point of entry.
13. Phishing is the initial attack vector in 41% of ransomware cases
Phishing emails are the most common starting point for ransomware. It could be a fake invoice, a fake job offer, or a fake login request. All it takes is one wrong click, and attackers are in.
Even experienced employees can fall for well-crafted phishing messages. They’re getting more convincing every day, often mimicking real company emails down to the logo and formatting.
Actionable advice: Ongoing phishing training is a must. Don’t just do it once a year—run regular tests. Send fake phishing emails and see who clicks. Then offer training based on real behavior. Make sure email filtering tools are in place and kept up to date.
Use DMARC, SPF, and DKIM to authenticate your own outbound emails, reducing the chance of spoofing. And teach your team to pause and verify suspicious messages, especially those asking for money, passwords, or urgent action.
14. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) compromise is responsible for 30% of infections
RDP lets users control computers remotely, but if it’s not secured properly, it’s a direct line into your network.
Many attackers scan the internet looking for open RDP ports with weak or default passwords. Once inside, they can deploy ransomware manually, doing far more damage than automated attacks.
In many cases, the victims didn’t even know RDP was enabled on a machine.
Actionable advice: If you don’t absolutely need RDP, disable it. If you must use it, restrict access by IP address, use a VPN, and enforce strong authentication. Never allow direct access to RDP over the internet.
Use remote access gateways with logging enabled. And monitor login attempts—dozens of failed attempts in a short period could signal a brute-force attack in progress.
15. 92% of ransomware strains can bypass traditional antivirus solutions
The old way of protecting systems—by installing antivirus software and calling it a day—isn’t enough anymore. Attackers are constantly creating new variants that antivirus tools don’t yet recognize. By the time your software catches up, the damage may already be done.
This is why so many companies with antivirus still get hit.
Actionable advice: Upgrade your defense. Use behavior-based tools like endpoint detection and response (EDR) or extended detection and response (XDR). These tools don’t just scan for known viruses—they look at what software is doing.
If a program starts encrypting hundreds of files or spreading across your network, it gets flagged. Also, run your antivirus alongside other tools. Security today is all about layers. One line of defense is no longer enough.
16. The average downtime after a ransomware attack is 22 days
That’s nearly a month of lost productivity. Even if you restore from backup, cleaning up systems, ensuring no malware remains, and recovering all data takes time. Meanwhile, your business is in limbo. You’re losing clients, reputation, and revenue.
Some companies never fully bounce back. Others limp through recovery, losing market share and trust along the way.
Actionable advice: The key is to reduce your recovery time. Backups are only useful if they’re fast to restore. Use automated disaster recovery systems that can spin up clean environments quickly.
Practice recovery drills—know exactly what to do, who’s responsible, and how long each step will take. Document every system dependency. The more you can automate your failover process, the less downtime you’ll face.
17. 51% of enterprises have cyber insurance that covers ransomware
Cyber insurance is becoming more common, but coverage varies a lot. Some policies exclude ransom payments. Others won’t pay unless you’ve met strict security standards beforehand. And almost all require detailed documentation before you file a claim.
Having insurance doesn’t mean you’re safe—it means you might get help after the fact, if you’ve done your homework.
Actionable advice: Read the fine print. Know exactly what’s covered, what’s not, and what conditions must be met. Does your insurer require multi-factor authentication? Offline backups?
A detailed incident response plan? Work with your broker to ensure your coverage reflects the current threat landscape. And document everything—from software updates to staff training. If an incident happens, you’ll need a paper trail.
18. 25% of organizations pay the ransom despite having backups
Why would someone pay if they have backups? Because recovery can be messy. Maybe the backups were outdated. Maybe the system configurations weren’t saved. Or maybe the backups were encrypted too.
Sometimes the speed and simplicity of paying seems like the easier path—even if it’s not.
But giving in fuels the ransomware economy. It encourages more attacks.
Actionable advice: Test your backups often. Run full simulations. Try restoring not just files, but entire systems. Make sure your backups are complete, recent, and safe from attacks. Use separate accounts and access rules for backup storage.
Consider using immutable storage, which can’t be altered or deleted once data is written. The goal isn’t just having backups—it’s knowing they’ll actually work when you need them most.
19. 35% of ransomware attacks originate from state-linked groups
Some ransomware attacks aren’t just about money—they’re about disruption, politics, or strategic advantage. These state-sponsored groups are more sophisticated.
They may lurk inside your network for weeks before striking. They often target infrastructure, government, or industries linked to national security.
When state actors are involved, the rules are different. These groups have resources and patience that ordinary criminals don’t.
Actionable advice: If you’re in a critical industry—finance, healthcare, defense, energy—assume you’re a high-value target. Use threat intelligence tools that can detect nation-state tactics.
Set up detection for lateral movement, privilege escalation, and unusual behavior over time. And communicate regularly with national cybersecurity bodies. Sharing threat data can help everyone stay ahead of these more complex attacks.
20. 37% of victims experience brand damage following an attack
Even if you recover your data and systems, the damage to your brand can last much longer.
Customers may lose trust. Partners may back away. News coverage can stay online for years. In some cases, your brand becomes permanently associated with the breach.
Rebuilding that trust is hard. It takes time, money, and consistent transparency.
Actionable advice: Prepare a communication plan before a crisis hits. If you’re attacked, your message must be fast, honest, and clear. Own the problem. Explain what you’re doing to fix it and how you’re protecting your customers moving forward.
Have public statements, email templates, and social media posts ready in advance. Don’t go silent—silence often breeds suspicion. Transparency builds trust, even after an incident.
21. Financial services see 57% of attacks targeting customer data
When attackers hit financial firms, they’re not just locking systems—they’re hunting for valuable customer data. Bank account numbers, credit histories, identity documents—all of this can be resold, reused, or used to blackmail individuals. That’s why financial institutions are prime targets.
Regulatory bodies are also watching closely. A breach in this industry often triggers legal investigations and steep fines.
Actionable advice: Protecting customer data should be your top priority. Use encryption at rest and in transit. Monitor for unauthorized access in real-time. Implement strict access controls—especially for internal staff.
Ensure every customer-facing application is tested for vulnerabilities regularly. And don’t overlook insider threats—fraud and data theft can come from within just as easily as from outside.
22. Education is the second-most targeted sector, with 56% of institutions hit
Schools and universities hold sensitive data and often have less cybersecurity funding. Their open networks and large user bases make them easy targets. Plus, downtime can be catastrophic—cancelled classes, disrupted exams, and student records at risk.
Students and staff also aren’t always trained in digital security, which adds to the risk.
Actionable advice: Start by tightening access. Use network segmentation to keep student devices separate from administration systems. Make multi-factor authentication mandatory for all staff.
Set up routine patching schedules and endpoint monitoring. And create easy-to-understand cybersecurity guides for students. Awareness goes a long way in reducing risk.
23. 67% of victims say attacks significantly impacted their revenue
Lost revenue is often the hidden cost of ransomware. You may not see it all at once, but it builds over time. Customers leave, deals fall through, operations slow down. Even after systems are restored, trust takes a hit—and with it, your sales.
For companies in competitive markets, this damage can be irreversible.
Actionable advice: Build resilience into your operations. Ask yourself: if systems go down for 24 hours, how will you keep selling? Create fallback processes for order management, customer communication, and billing.
Maintain strong relationships with your clients—when things go wrong, loyal customers will give you a second chance. And don’t wait until a breach to talk about your security posture. Make it part of your brand—show customers you take it seriously.
24. The average cost to remediate a ransomware attack (excluding ransom) is $4.6 million
That’s the cost of cleaning up after the attack. It includes legal fees, IT forensics, new hardware, customer notifications, and more.
Even if you don’t pay the ransom, you’re still spending millions to rebuild what was lost.
And these numbers are rising every year.
Actionable advice: Take the proactive route. It’s cheaper to prevent than to recover. Budget for annual penetration testing. Review your cyber insurance limits and make sure remediation costs are included.
Establish contracts with external cybersecurity firms in advance, so you’re not scrambling during a crisis. And document everything—auditors and insurers will ask for proof of your security measures if you file a claim.
25. 48% of attacks occur via compromised software updates or supply chains
Attackers aren’t always coming through your front door—they’re sneaking in through your partners. A software vendor might push an update that contains malware, or a contractor might reuse a weak password.
If you trust a third-party system, you’re trusting their security too.
Supply chain attacks are hard to detect and even harder to stop.
Actionable advice: Start by auditing your vendors. What access do they have? Do they follow secure coding practices? Are they transparent about vulnerabilities? Ask for security certifications and conduct regular reviews.
Use software composition analysis tools to monitor third-party code. And adopt a zero-trust mindset—verify every connection, no matter where it comes from.
26. LockBit and BlackCat are responsible for over 50% of known ransomware campaigns
These ransomware groups are not amateurs. They run like businesses—with developers, negotiators, and tech support. They create advanced malware and license it to affiliates who do the actual attacking. That makes them fast, scalable, and dangerous.
They also monitor the news. If they know a company has deep pockets or recent funding, they might become a target.
Actionable advice: Understand your threat profile. Are you in an industry that these groups focus on? Are you a high-visibility brand? If so, enhance your monitoring and detection capabilities.
Subscribe to threat intelligence feeds that track specific ransomware groups. Identify indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with LockBit or BlackCat and update your security tools accordingly. Staying informed helps you block known threats before they get in.
27. 59% of organizations increased cybersecurity budgets due to ransomware
It’s taken a lot of pain, but companies are finally investing more in defense. Whether it’s buying better tools, hiring skilled professionals, or expanding training, these budget increases are a necessary response to a growing threat.
Still, more money doesn’t always mean better results. It’s about spending smart, not just spending more.
Actionable advice: Prioritize your investments. Start with risk assessments to identify your biggest vulnerabilities. Fund the areas that matter most—like employee training, endpoint protection, and incident response.
Avoid shiny tools that look impressive but don’t solve real problems. And measure the results of your spending. Are phishing clicks going down? Are detection times improving? Make your security investments work for you.
28. Ransomware detections on mobile devices rose by 28% in the past year
Phones aren’t just for calls and texts anymore—they’re mini-computers that hold sensitive data, access work emails, and connect to cloud apps. Attackers know this and are shifting focus toward mobile.
Employees working remotely or using personal phones for work increase this risk even more.
Actionable advice: Treat mobile security as seriously as desktop security. Enforce mobile device management (MDM) policies. Require screen locks, device encryption, and remote wipe capabilities. .
Only allow approved apps for work tasks. And educate your team—many mobile attacks start with a malicious link or fake app. Teach them how to spot suspicious behavior, even on their phones.
29. Only 21% of organizations conduct frequent employee training on ransomware prevention
That means nearly 80% of companies are leaving one of their biggest vulnerabilities—human error—wide open.
Most attacks start with a click. If your people don’t know how to recognize a scam, no tool will save you.
Training isn’t a luxury. It’s a frontline defense.
Actionable advice: Create a security culture. Make training part of onboarding and repeat it quarterly. Use short, focused sessions with real-world examples. Reward people for spotting phishing attempts or reporting suspicious activity.
And involve leadership. When executives take training seriously, employees will too. Make it a team effort—not a box to check.
30. The average ransomware encryption time after infection is less than 45 minutes
Once ransomware gets in, it moves fast. You don’t have hours to respond—you have minutes. If you’re not monitoring your systems in real-time, you might not even know you’ve been hit until it’s too late.
That’s why speed is critical in ransomware defense.
Actionable advice: Invest in real-time monitoring and alerting. Set up automated responses to suspicious activity—like shutting down a server if encryption behavior is detected.
Use canary files that alert you if touched. And minimize the blast radius. If one system is compromised, make sure it can’t access everything else. The faster you can detect and isolate, the less damage you’ll face.
wrapping it up
Ransomware has swiftly evolved from a sporadic cybersecurity nuisance into a full-blown global threat, with its frequency, scale, and financial impact increasing year over year.
As the data shows, no industry, organization size, or geography is immune. The staggering growth in attacks—fueled by ransomware-as-a-service models, cryptocurrency anonymity, and sophisticated threat actors—underscores the urgent need for proactive defense strategies.
