2026 The new reality of ransomware

Ransomware activity in Q1 2026 remained near historic highs, but the threat landscape is entering a critical transition phase: power is now concentrated in fewer but much more capable ransomware groups.

According to Check Point Research, this concentration, combined with the acceleration of attacker capabilities and the gradual use of artificial intelligence (AI), dramatically increases the potential impact of each attack, making ransomware incidents more devastating, repeatable, and costly for victims.

See more articles from iGuRu.gr when you search for news on Google.

iGuRu.gr preferred source

Key findings at a glance — and why they matter

• 2.122 organizations were extorted in Q1 2026, making it the second highest Q1 on record
  Ransomware is no longer about isolated “bursts” of activity. It has stabilized at a dangerously high level, against which organizations must constantly defend.
• Top 10 ransomware groups responsible for 71% of all victims, upending the fragmented ecosystem of 2025
  Fewer groups now carry out the majority of attacks, increasing consistency, scale, and professionalism — and dramatically increasing the risk in the event of a breach.

Qilin remained the most active group for the third consecutive quarter, with 338 victims, while The Gentlemen rocketed from 40 victims in Q4 2025 to 166 in Q1 2026 (+315%), becoming the "surprise" of the quarter.
The prolonged dominance of mature ransomware operations shows how resilient and difficult to dismantle these groups are, but also how pre-existing access can turn new players into major threats almost overnight, even under pressure from authorities.

• LockBit confirmed its return, with 163 victims, returning to the global "elite" after previous interventions
  Law enforcement actions slow down the groups, but rarely eliminate them. Those that survive regroup, adapt, and return with new tactics and “brands.”
• The US remains the epicenter, accounting for 49,6% of global ransomware victims, and remaining the most targeted country internationally.

New, access-driven findings – Geography follows access, not intent

The ransomware It is no longer determined solely by the industry of the business; it is determined by access.
Check Point Research found that victims are increasingly appearing in sectors where there is exploitable infrastructure, exposed VPNs or pre-existing access, and not necessarily in industries traditionally considered "high value."

Thus, the risk shifts from the question of “who do attackers want to target” to “where do they already have a foothold.” Even organizations outside of “attractive” industries are now prime targets, as long as they have uncorrected exposures.

• Only 13% of The Gentlemen's victims came from the US, compared to 49,6% of the ecosystem average.
  • Victim concentration increased significantly in APAC and Latin America, reflecting where access was already available — not a change in geopolitical motives

The “regional security” assumption is now dangerously outdated: attackers move wherever there is access, and geographically distributed access expands, not reduces, the global ransomware risk.

What does all this mean for ransomware in 2026?

Manufacturing, business services, healthcare, and industrial environments continue to be the focus — not because they are wealthier, but because the sensitivity to downtime and complexity of systems maximizes the impact after access is gained.

The success of ransomware attacks is now based primarily on operational disruption, not just the amount of ransom. The cost of downtime is now the attackers' most powerful weapon.

• Attacks may not be decreasing, but attackers are fewer and more effective.
• Attacks are repeatable, scalable, and access-based
• Preventing initial access is now more critical than responding after encryption

Sergey Shykevich , Threat Intelligence Group Manager at Check Point Software, said:

“ Ransomware in 2026 is no longer about attack volume, but about concentration and acceleration . When fewer, more capable groups carry out the majority of attacks, each incident has a greater operational and financial impact. At the same time, artificial intelligence is beginning to compress the attack lifecycle — from access to exploitation — making existing exposures more dangerous than ever. Organizations must move from passively reacting to ransomware incidents to proactively reducing exposure by closing access gaps, strengthening identity and network controls, and limiting lateral movement before attacks escalate at machine speeds.”

newsbot

Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.