Ransomware attacks have never been more costly or persistent. According to a recent report highlighted by Cybersecurity Insiders, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) revealed that total ransomware payments reported since 2013 surpassed $4.5 billion by the end of 2024. This staggering figure underscores an urgent lesson for business leaders: conventional cybersecurity strategies focused on detection and response are no longer sufficient. Cybersecurity Insiders
Ransomware Trends Revealed
FinCEN’s Financial Trend Analysis report sheds light on how ransomware has evolved into a multi‑billion‑dollar business for cybercriminals. While data collection mechanisms vary, reports examined through the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) show that millions of dollars in ransomware payments continue to flow every year, especially during peak years like 2023, when organizations reported over 1,500 incidents and $1.1 billion in ransom payments alone.
Even with some decline in payments in 2024 — attributed in part to law enforcement disrupting major gangs — the overall trend remains clear: ransomware shows no signs of disappearing. Attackers are aggressively targeting critical industries, including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, retail, and legal services, where disruption and data loss can cause cascading operational and financial damage.
Why Detection and Response Is Not Enough
Most companies today rely heavily on detect and respond strategies. These include antivirus products, endpoint detection and response (EDR), threat hunting, and incident response teams. While these layers have their place, they share a basic limitation: they wait for a threat to be detected before acting.
The FinCEN report highlights the sophistication and adaptability of modern ransomware groups — from BlackCat and LockBit to Akira and Black Basta — who employ advanced techniques such as:
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Double extortion, where attackers steal data before encrypting it and threaten to publish it if the ransom is not paid.
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Exploiting anonymity networks like Tor to hide command and control infrastructure.
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Demanding payment in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin to evade traditional financial tracking.
These tactics allow attackers to strike quickly and often without early warning, rendering detection‑dependent defenses reactive, not preventive.
The Case for Isolation and Containment
The failure of detect and respond alone to adequately stop ransomware outbreaks is part of why organizations continue to pay billions in extortion and remediation. What’s missing is a fundamental shift in how businesses protect their endpoints.
Isolation and containment flips the script. Instead of waiting to see if malicious behavior is detected, it proactively blocks untrusted processes and isolates potential threats before they can interact with critical system components. This approach significantly limits attackers’ ability to execute ransomware payloads or move laterally across networks.
AppGuard: A Proven Solution
AppGuard stands out as a solution built around this philosophy of isolation and containment. With a decade of track record protecting systems against unknown threats, AppGuard offers:
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Non‑signature based protection, meaning it does not rely on detecting a known threat before blocking it.
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Process isolation that restricts untrusted code from harming systems or accessing sensitive resources.
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Low operational overhead, reducing alerts and false positives so teams can focus on business priorities.
Over its 10‑year evolution, AppGuard has demonstrated effectiveness in real‑world environments where traditional tools struggle, especially against novel and sophisticated ransomware strains.
What Business Leaders Must Do Now
Cybercrime is not just a risk; it is an ongoing business reality that costs organizations billions and disrupts operations across sectors. The FinCEN data makes one thing clear — ransomware remains lucrative and persistent.
To protect your business:
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Reevaluate your cybersecurity posture by acknowledging that detect and respond is no longer enough on its own.
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Adopt preventative controls that isolate and contain threats before they can execute.
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Invest in solutions with a proven track record, such as AppGuard, that bring defense in depth to endpoints.
The threat landscape is evolving rapidly, and ransomware actors will continue to innovate. Your defenses should too.
Call to Action
Business owners must act now to protect their organizations from the next ransomware attack. Talk with us at CHIPS about how AppGuard can help you stop attacks before they become breaches. Let’s move beyond detect and respond and embrace isolation and containment strategies that actually prevent ransomware from disrupting your business. Contact us to get started.
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