500 Ransomware Statistics For 2026 - Cybercrime Magazine

Cybersecurity News. PHOTO: Cybercrime Magazine. 03 Jun 500 Ransomware Statistics For 2026 Posted at 08:50h in Blogs by Taylor Fox This week in cybersecurity from the editors at Cybercrime Magazine Sausalito, Calif. – Jun. 3, 2026 – Read the full story from Bright Defense Ransomware has existed for more than 35 years and remains the fastest-growing category of cybercrime, showing no signs of slowing down, according to Cybersecurity Ventures, who predicts that the global cost of ransomware will reach $275 billion annually by 2031, highlighting the escalating financial toll of this long-running cyber threat. The total estimated damage costs include not only ransom payments and negotiation expenses, but also the damage or destruction of data, theft of money, operational downtime, and lost productivity. Los Angeles-based cybersecurity company Bright Defense has updated its list of 500 ransomware statistics for 2026, containing data from trusted industry leaders. The list culls through ransomware facts, predictions and statistics from 2024 to present, and the sources are mainly cybersecurity vendors. One figure that jumped out to the editors at Cybercrime Magazine: 29 percent of ransom-paying organizations in 2025 paid exactly the amount first demanded, and 18 percent of ransom-paying organizations in 2025 ended up paying more than the original demand, according to the Sophos State of Ransomware 2025. Read the Full Story Cybercrime Magazine is Page ONE for Cybersecurity. Go to any of our sections to read the latest: SCAM. The latest schemes, frauds, and social engineering attacks being launched on consumers globally. NEWS. Breaking coverage on cyberattacks and data breaches, and the most recent privacy and security stories. HACK. Another organization gets hacked every day. We tell you who, what, where, when, and why. VC. Cybersecurity venture capital deal flow with the latest investment activity from various sources around the world. M&A. Cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions including big tech, pure cyber, product vendors and professional services. BLOG. What’s happening at Cybercrime Magazine. Plus the stories that don’t make headlines (but maybe they should). PRESS. Cybersecurity industry news and press releases in real time from the editors at Business Wire. PODCAST. New episodes daily on the Cybercrime Magazine Podcast feature victims, law enforcement, vendors, and cybersecurity experts. RADIO. Tune into WCYB Digital Radio at Cybercrime.Radio, the first and only round-the-clock internet radio station devoted to cybersecurity. Contact us to send story tips, feedback and suggestions, and for sponsorship opportunities and custom media productions. Print page