Ransomware Attacks Surge as Payments Fall in 2025
A recent report highlighted by The Register reveals a striking contradiction in today’s ransomware landscape: attackers are launching more attacks than ever, yet they are getting paid less.
At first glance, this may sound like progress. But for business owners, the reality is far more concerning.
More Attacks, Less Revenue But Greater Risk
According to the article, ransomware gangs pulled in approximately $820 million in 2025, an 8 percent decrease from the previous year.
However, this decline in payments does not mean ransomware is fading away. In fact, quite the opposite is happening:
• Ransomware attacks increased by 50 percent year over year
• The percentage of victims paying dropped to just 28 percent, an all time low
• The median ransom demand skyrocketed from about $12,700 to nearly $60,000
This tells us something critical: attackers are working harder, targeting more organizations, and demanding more money per incident, even if fewer victims are paying.
The Rise of Volume Based Attacks
One of the most important insights from the source article is the shift in attacker strategy.
Instead of a few large, coordinated ransomware groups dominating the landscape, the ecosystem has fragmented. Smaller, opportunistic groups are now flooding the market, launching high volumes of attacks across industries.
This shift has several implications:
• More businesses are being targeted, especially small and mid sized organizations
• Attacks are becoming more opportunistic and less predictable
• Attribution and defense are becoming increasingly difficult
In other words, ransomware is no longer just a big company problem. It is now a volume driven threat that can impact any organization at any time.
Initial Access Brokers Are Fueling the Fire
Another key takeaway is the growing role of Initial Access Brokers or IABs. These actors specialize in gaining access to corporate networks and then selling that access to ransomware groups.
The data shows that spikes in IAB activity often precede ransomware attacks by about 30 days.
This means many attacks are not random. They are part of a structured ecosystem where access is bought, sold, and exploited.
For businesses, this reinforces a harsh reality: by the time ransomware is deployed, the attacker may have already been inside your environment for weeks.
Why Payments Are Dropping
So why are payments declining if attacks are increasing?
The report points to several contributing factors:
• Improved incident response capabilities
• Increased regulatory pressure
• More aggressive law enforcement actions
• Better awareness and resilience among organizations
While these are positive developments, they do not eliminate the threat. Instead, they are forcing attackers to adapt by increasing attack volume and raising ransom demands.
The Problem with Detect and Respond
Here is where many organizations are still getting it wrong.
Traditional cybersecurity strategies are built around a Detect and Respond model. The assumption is that if you can detect an attack quickly enough, you can stop it before damage occurs.
But ransomware does not work that way anymore.
By the time ransomware is detected:
• The attacker often already has access
• Lateral movement may have occurred
• Data may already be exfiltrated
• Encryption can happen in minutes
Detection alone is no longer sufficient. The data clearly shows that attackers are succeeding in gaining access at scale, even if fewer ransoms are ultimately paid.
A Necessary Shift to Isolation and Containment
To truly reduce risk, organizations need to shift from reacting to attacks to preventing them from executing in the first place.
This is where Isolation and Containment becomes critical.
Instead of trying to detect malicious activity after it begins, this approach focuses on:
• Preventing unauthorized processes from executing
• Containing potential threats at the endpoint level
• Eliminating the ability for malware to spread or escalate
This fundamentally changes the outcome of an attack.
Even if an attacker gains access, they cannot execute ransomware effectively if the environment is properly isolated and contained.
Why AppGuard Changes the Equation
This is exactly the approach enabled by AppGuard.
With a proven 10 year track record, AppGuard is designed to stop ransomware and other advanced threats by enforcing Isolation and Containment at the endpoint.
Rather than relying on signatures, alerts, or behavioral detection, AppGuard:
• Prevents malicious code from executing
• Blocks unauthorized activity at the source
• Contains threats before they can spread
In a world where attackers are increasing volume, leveraging access brokers, and evolving their tactics, this approach provides a level of protection that traditional tools simply cannot match.
Final Thoughts
The takeaway from this report is clear.
Ransomware is not declining. It is evolving.
• More attacks
• Higher demands
• Broader targeting
• More sophisticated ecosystems
Even though fewer organizations are paying, the risk to your business has never been higher.
Call to Action
If your organization is still relying on a Detect and Respond strategy, now is the time to rethink your approach.
Talk with us at CHIPS about how AppGuard can help your business move to an Isolation and Containment model and prevent ransomware incidents before they start.
Because in today’s threat landscape, prevention is no longer optional. It is essential.
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