A recent report from Sophos — highlighted in a news article titled “Sophos: 58% of Retailers Hit by Ransomware Pay the Ransom” — reveals alarming trends in how retail organizations are responding to ransomware attacks. Thisdaylive+2SOPHOS+2
According to the report, among retail businesses whose data was encrypted after a ransomware incident, 58 percent chose to pay the ransom to get their data back. This marks one of the highest payment rates seen in the past five years.
Even more concerning, 46 percent of those ransomware incidents were traced to “unknown security gaps.” These are vulnerabilities that organizations were not aware of — which suggests that their existing security controls and monitoring failed to detect or anticipate the threat.
Meanwhile, ransom demands have surged. The median demand doubled to USD 2 million compared to 2024, while average payments increased by 5 percent to around USD 1 million.
All this shows the pressure — financial, operational, reputational — that retailers face. And in many cases, paying the ransom may feel like the only viable path to restore operations. But paying carries huge risks, including encouraging more attacks, perpetuating cybercriminal business models, and exposing your organization to future extortion attempts.
Paying ransom is a gamble. Even after payment, there is no guarantee attackers will fully restore your data — or that they won’t leak or misuse it. Even when they do, the cost (financial loss, lost business, reputational damage) may far exceed the ransom itself.
Moreover, the root causes highlighted by the Sophos report — unknown security gaps, overlooked vulnerabilities, insufficient protection coverage — point to deeper structural weaknesses in traditional cybersecurity strategies.
Relying on detection, response, and backup/recovery alone often leaves businesses vulnerable. It does not prevent the infiltration in the first place. And when attackers succeed, organizations frequently resort to paying ransom or scrambling to recover — both costly, both risky.
What if there was a stronger way to defend? One that does not rely solely on detecting threats before damage occurs, or scrambling to respond and recover after — but instead prevents ransomware from executing and spreading in the first place.
This is exactly the philosophy behind AppGuard, a proven endpoint protection solution with a track record of more than ten years. Instead of playing catch-up, AppGuard leverages Isolation and Containment — blocking malicious activity before it can launch its attack, encrypt data, or spread across the network.
Given the findings from Sophos — unknown security gaps, rising ransom demands, and high payment rates — AppGuard’s approach becomes even more compelling. It addresses the core problem: attackers getting in and executing malware. By shutting them out before they can run, AppGuard reduces ransomware risk dramatically, regardless of unknown vulnerabilities or external threats.
For retailers and other businesses, this means you no longer have to wait for detection triggers, scramble to respond, or hope backups are intact. You can prevent incidents proactively.
Ransom demands are rising rapidly — median demands doubled just this year.
Payment rates remain dangerously high (58% in retail), creating ongoing financial risk and encouraging more attacks.
Many incidents stem from security gaps that organizations did not know existed — meaning conventional security tools failed to catch them.
Traditional “detect and respond” strategies leave too much to chance. Organizations need a stronger, more proactive posture.
With AppGuard, businesses can shift from reactive defense to proactive prevention. Isolation and containment significantly reduce the chances of malware execution and encryption — effectively neutralizing ransomware threats before they can inflict damage.
The latest findings from Sophos make it clear: paying ransom is a risky and unsustainable strategy. For retailers and other organizations, the stakes are too high.
If you are a business owner concerned about ransomware — worried about escalating ransom demands, unknown security gaps, and the risk of operational and reputational damage — it is time to rethink your approach.
Talk with us at CHIPS about how AppGuard can protect your business with a proven, containment-first strategy. Move beyond “detect and respond.” Embrace “isolation and containment.” Protect your organization before attackers force your hand.
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