Ransomware is no longer just about encrypting files and demanding payment. According to Security.com’s Ransomware: Tactical Evolution Fuels Extortion Epidemic, 2025 saw a historic surge in extortion attacks—driven by new tactics, new players, and a relentless focus on data theft and leverage.
In this article we break down what business owners need to know about the threat landscape, why traditional approaches are failing, and why now is the time to adopt endpoint protections that emphasize isolation and containment rather than rely solely on detect and respond.
Even with major disruptions to notorious ransomware-as-a-service groups like LockBit and RansomHub, the total number of reported extortion incidents hit an all-time high in 2025. Ransomware actors claimed 4,737 attacks involving encryption, but when encryptionless extortion attacks are factored in—where attackers steal data and threaten to leak it—the total rises to 6,182 attacks, a 23% increase year-over-year.
This shift marks a turning point in the cyber-extortion epidemic. Attackers are no longer dependent on encrypting systems to coerce victims. Instead, they increasingly focus on stealing sensitive data and threatening its disclosure, a tactic pioneered by the cybercrime group Snakefly (also known as Cl0p). Snakefly’s campaigns have exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in major enterprise systems like Oracle E-Business Suite, demonstrating how attackers can infiltrate networks before victims even detect a breach.
The departure of longstanding ransomware groups has not eased the threat; it simply paved the way for others to step in. Groups like Akira, Qilin, Safepay, and DragonForce quickly filled the void, consolidating affiliates and expanding their operations.
Equally concerning is the evolution of attack methods themselves. Rather than relying on custom malware, many extortion schemes now leverage legitimate software tools to move laterally across networks, deepen access, and evade detection. These so-called living off the land techniques use tools such as PowerShell, PsExec, and remote access software to facilitate data theft—all while blending in with normal IT activity.
This trend complicates traditional security. Tools that are ubiquitous in legitimate business operations now serve dual purposes—as both productivity enablers and covert attack mechanisms. The result is that many enterprise defenses struggle to differentiate between normal and malicious activity in real time.
While encryption remains a hallmark of ransomware incidents, the advent of encryptionless extortion expands the attack surface. Threat actors are increasingly willing to simply steal and threaten to expose sensitive data rather than encrypt it. This approach reduces the risk of rapid detection and maximizes leverage against victims.
Layered onto this is the growing use of zero-day exploits and software supply chain weaknesses—vectors that can compromise even well-defended environments without detection. For business owners with complex IT infrastructures, these trends signal that attacks can originate from unexpected vectors and escalate rapidly before traditional detection tools even register a threat.
Traditional cybersecurity strategies focus heavily on detecting threats and responding after an attack is underway. Endpoint detection and response (EDR), network firewalls, and intrusion detection systems form the core of this approach. While these tools remain important, the changing character of ransomware shows that by the time an attack is detected, attackers can already have stolen sensitive data or disrupted operations.
In contrast, prevention and containment strategies aim to stop unauthorized actions before they can execute harmful activities. Isolation and containment focus on creating hardened execution environments where unknown or untrusted code has minimal access and cannot move laterally across the network.
AppGuard is a proven endpoint protection solution with over a decade of success defending against advanced threats. Rather than relying on detection signatures or post-incident response, AppGuard’s isolation and containment approach proactively restricts unauthorized behaviors at the endpoint, neutralizing threats before they can execute harmful actions. This makes it especially effective against living-off-the-land techniques and zero-day exploits that often slip past traditional defenses.
With ransomware tactics evolving rapidly, the need for robust containment has never been more urgent. AppGuard’s track record—now available for commercial deployment—demonstrates it is a powerful tool in the modern cybersecurity arsenal.
Business owners should take the following insights to heart:
Ransomware attacks are not decreasing—they are evolving. Extortion tactics now exploit data theft and leverage legal threats rather than just encryption.
Attackers are using legitimate tools and dual-use software to avoid detection, making traditional detection much less effective.
Simply detecting an attack is no longer sufficient; containment and isolation must be core parts of your defense strategy.
The ransomware extortion epidemic underscores a hard truth: relying solely on detect and respond tactics leaves your business vulnerable. It is time to shift toward a cybersecurity architecture that prioritizes isolation and containment.
Talk with us at CHIPS to learn how AppGuard can prevent this type of incident and protect your business against today’s most advanced threats. Move beyond reactive security. Embrace proactive defense with AppGuard.
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