Story perspectives

Ransomware Attacks Surge, Small Businesses Bear Brunt

4/26/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Verizon's 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report indicates ransomware was involved in 44% of over 22,000 data breaches.
The percentage of ransomware victims who paid ransoms decreased to 36%, with a median ransom of $115,000.
Small and medium-sized businesses experienced 88% of ransomware breaches, compared to 39% for larger organizations.
Ransom amounts fell significantly, with 95% under $3 million in 2024, down from $9.9 million in 2023.
Ransomware attacks are rising across all sectors, particularly impacting local governments in the U.S. and small councils in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

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Story summary

Verizon's 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report indicates ransomware was involved in 44% of over 22,000 data breaches.
The percentage of ransomware victims who paid ransoms decreased to 36%, with a median ransom of $115,000.
Small and medium-sized businesses experienced 88% of ransomware breaches, compared to 39% for larger organizations.
Ransom amounts fell significantly, with 95% under $3 million in 2024, down from $9.9 million in 2023.
Ransomware attacks are rising across all sectors, particularly impacting local governments in the U.S. and small councils in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.