Ransomware in 2026: Why Attacks Keep Rising Despite Group Shutdowns

Ransomware in 2026: Why Attacks Keep Rising Despite Group Shutdowns

Ransomware remains one of the most persistent and costly cyber threats facing organizations in 2026. Even as law enforcement agencies dismantle major criminal groups, attack volumes continue to climb. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, global ransomware damages are projected to exceed $265 billion annually by 2031, up from an estimated $42 billion in 2024. The disruption of ransomware groups does not eliminate the threat. It redistributes it.

This article examines why ransomware persists despite group closures, what the 2025 and 2026 data reveals about attack trends, and what organizations must do to reduce their exposure in the current environment.

Ransomware Groups Shut Down but the Threat Does Not

Between 2022 and 2025, several high profile ransomware operations were dismantled or chose to dissolve. LockBit was disrupted by a coordinated international law enforcement operation in February 2024. ALPHV/BlackCat conducted an exit scam and dissolved in March 2024. Hive was taken down by the FBI in January 2023. Yet ransomware attack volumes did not fall. They rose.

The reason is structural. Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) ecosystems allow developers to license their malware to affiliate operators. When a RaaS platform closes, affiliates do not retire. They migrate to competing platforms, taking their access credentials, victim lists, and techniques with them. The AstraLocker group illustrated this dynamic when it pivoted from ransomware to cryptojacking rather than ceasing operations entirely. Conti disbanded its branded infrastructure in 2022 but its members reconstituted across at least five successor groups.

Ransomware Attack Statistics: What 2025 and 2026 Data Show

The data from 2025 into early 2026 reinforces a clear and troubling trajectory.

• Global ransomware attacks increased by 73% in 2023 versus 2022, a trend confirmed by multiple industry threat reports covering 2024 and 2025.
• The healthcare, education, and critical infrastructure sectors faced disproportionate targeting in 2025, with healthcare accounting for over 18% of all ransomware incidents.
• Average ransom payments reached $2.73 million in 2024, nearly doubling from the prior year according to multiple industry threat reports.
• Supply chain ransomware attacks targeting managed service providers and third party vendors increased significantly, multiplying victim counts through single intrusions.
• Double and triple extortion tactics are now standard. Attackers encrypt files, threaten to publish stolen data, and contact victims' customers or regulators directly to maximize pressure.

Active Ransomware Groups to Monitor in 2026

While older brands have dissolved, new groups have emerged to fill the vacuum. The groups posing the greatest risk to organizations in 2026 include:

• RansomHub emerged in early 2024 and quickly became one of the most prolific RaaS operators, attracting former LockBit and ALPHV affiliates.
• Akira has targeted small and medium businesses and critical infrastructure across North America and Europe, with hundreds of confirmed victims since 2023.
• Cl0p (TA505) continues to exploit zero day vulnerabilities in file transfer software, as demonstrated in the MOVEit campaign that compromised thousands of organizations globally.
• BlackBasta is widely believed to have originated from former Conti members and remains active with a focus on large enterprise targets.
• Medusa operates a public facing leak site and has demonstrated willingness to target hospitals and schools.

Shared Tactics Across Ransomware Groups

Regardless of branding, modern ransomware operators share consistent techniques:

1. Initial access via phishing and credential theft: Phishing emails remain the leading entry point. Attackers also purchase stolen credentials from initial access brokers on dark web markets.
2. Living off the land (LotL) techniques: Attackers use legitimate system tools such as PowerShell, WMI, and RDP to move laterally and avoid detection.
3. Data exfiltration before encryption: Attackers spend days or weeks inside networks harvesting data before deploying ransomware, ensuring leverage even if the victim restores from backup.
4. Backup deletion: Volume shadow copies and network accessible backups are systematically destroyed to eliminate the victim's recovery options.
5. Reuse of leaked ransomware code: Since the Babuk and Conti source code leaks, dozens of new ransomware variants have been built on existing codebases, lowering the technical barrier to entry.

Effective Ransomware Defense for Organizations in 2026

Technical controls remain necessary but insufficient on their own. Organizations that successfully contain ransomware incidents combine technical hardening with trained, security aware workforces. The following measures address the most common attack vectors:

• Enforce MFA on all remote access: Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and VPN access without multi factor authentication are leading causes of ransomware incidents. Restrict RDP exposure and require phishing resistant MFA.
• Patch critical vulnerabilities within 24 to 72 hours: Ransomware operators exploit known CVEs faster than most patch cycles. Prioritize internet facing systems and file transfer tools.
• Segment networks: Micro segmentation limits lateral movement and contains the blast radius of a successful intrusion.
• Maintain and test immutable backups: Backups must be offline or air gapped and tested regularly. Recovery time objectives should be validated under simulated attack conditions, not just in routine drills.
• Run continuous security awareness training for all employees. Phishing is still the primary ransomware entry point. Role based training and frequent phishing simulations measurably reduce click rates and improve incident reporting behavior.
• Deploy a structured phishing incident response workflow so that employees who receive suspicious emails can report and escalate quickly, reducing dwell time.
• Adopt a human risk management approach that tracks individual and team level security behavior over time, identifies the highest risk employees, and delivers targeted interventions before an incident occurs.

The Role of Zero Trust and MDR in Ransomware Resilience

Zero Trust architecture limits the damage ransomware can cause by assuming breach from the outset. Every access request is verified regardless of network location, and permissions are scoped to least privilege. This does not prevent initial access but significantly restricts lateral movement.

Managed detection and response (MDR) services provide 24/7 monitoring and threat hunting capabilities that most organizations cannot maintain internally. MDR providers with ransomware specific playbooks can detect pre ransomware activity such as credential harvesting, shadow copy deletion commands, and unusual data staging behavior before encryption begins.

Restoring from backups addresses availability but not confidentiality. If attackers exfiltrated data before encrypting it, the organization still faces regulatory notification obligations and reputational exposure. Resilience requires addressing the root cause of the intrusion, not only recovering encrypted files.

What Organizations Must Do Right Now

The ransomware threat in 2026 is not a future risk. It is an active one. Every week brings new disclosures of organizations across healthcare, manufacturing, government, and finance that have been encrypted, extorted, or both. The organizations that contain these incidents fastest share common characteristics: they have trained their people, tested their processes, and hardened their highest risk entry points.

Take the following steps as an immediate priority:

• Audit all external facing systems and close unnecessary RDP and VPN access points.
• Verify that backup systems are isolated, tested, and recoverable within defined time objectives.
• Review which employees have access to the most sensitive systems and apply least privilege.
• Launch or refresh a security awareness training program that includes ransomware specific scenarios.
• Define and rehearse your ransomware incident response plan before you need it.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on June 1, 2026.