Almost a thousand organizations found themselves at the mercy of cybercriminals last month, as ransomware attacks hit an all-time high. February 2025 saw a staggering 962 reported victims – a 126% jump from the same period last year. So much for that 40-country alliance to combat ransomware. Clearly, it’s working great.
The notorious Cl0p gang dominated the scene, responsible for a whopping 335 attacks. That’s a 300% increase from January alone. They’ve been having a field day with vulnerabilities in Cleo file transfer software, exploiting critical flaws rated 9.8/10 in severity. Because apparently patching software is still too complicated for some organizations in 2025.
Attackers aren’t just getting more numerous – they’re getting faster and smarter. Two-stage attacks now involve rapid scanning followed by manual intrusion, with ransomware deployed within minutes. They’re even using AI to enhance their tactics. Great, just what we needed.
The United States remains the prime target, accounting for 59% of all attacks. Canada, the UK, France, and Germany round out the top five most vulnerable countries. Law enforcement actions have contributed to a 35% decline in ransomware payments, despite the rising number of attacks. Construction companies got hit hardest with 50 attacks, followed by professional services with 47, and healthcare with 33. Seems no industry is safe anymore. Cyber defenders are increasingly concerned about Akira variants hijacking webcams to secretly monitor networks while encrypting files.
The financial toll is brutal. Average ransom demands now exceed $5.2 million, with total incident costs averaging $4.91 million. Nearly half of targeted organizations estimate losses between $1-10 million. Ouch.
Companies are finally taking notice – 86% are adopting zero-trust security models, and 60% are scrutinizing cybersecurity risks in partnerships. There’s more focus on patching vulnerabilities and proactive threat hunting. The shocking statistic that 60% of businesses shut down within six months after a breach explains why organizations are finally prioritizing cybersecurity.
But let’s be real – with attacks up 126% in a year, whatever we’re doing clearly isn’t enough. At this rate, 2025 might go down as the year ransomware became everyone’s problem. Not just IT’s headache anymore.
