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2025 Ransomware payments decline as victim counts surge

Target Trend
First reported
Last updated
Happening score
H score 39
1 unique sources, 1 articles

Summary

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Ransomware victim counts surged 50% YoY in 2025 even as total payments fell 8% to $820m, showing that extortion volume rose while monetization weakened. The payment rate collapsed from 63% in 2024 to 29%, while the median payment climbed to $59,556 for victims that still paid. The trend was most visible across the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, and parts of Europe, with heavy hits to manufacturing and finance/professional services.

Related Happenings

Ransomware victim payment rates hit record low as claimed attacks surged

Target Trend
First: 26.02.2026 16:00 Last: 26.02.2026 16:00 Sources 1

About this happening: Ransomware victim payment rates **fell to 28%** last year, an all-time low, even as **claimed attacks** rose **50% year-over-year**. The divergence suggests extortion operations a...

Ransomware victim payment rates fall to record low as claimed attacks rise

Target Trend
First: 26.02.2026 16:00 Last: 26.02.2026 16:00 Sources 1

About this happening: Ransomware victim payment rates fell to **28%** last year, a record low, even as claimed attacks rose **50% year over year**, signaling a widening gap between attack volume and re...

Ransomware victim listings and active groups surge across 2025

Target Trend
First: 18.02.2026 13:30 Last: 18.02.2026 13:30 Sources 1

About this happening: **Ransomware** victim listings climbed to **7,458** on leak sites in **2025**, while active groups reached **124**, signaling a broader and more fragmented extortion ecosystem.

Chinese money ecosystem shift changes threat-actor operations

Threat Actor Meta
First: 28.01.2026 12:30 Last: 28.01.2026 12:30 Sources 1

About this happening: **Chinese money laundering networks (CMLNs)** now include **Xinbi**, a Chinese-language marketplace the **UK’s FCDO** sanctioned for selling **stolen data** and **satellite intern...

Latest development: 26.03.2026 17:42

The UK’s FCDO sanctioned Xinbi, a Chinese-language online marketplace that sells stolen data and satellite internet equipment to scam networks in Southeast Asia, and also targeted #8 Park and Legend Innovation Co as part of the same action; Xinbi is believed to have helped North Korean threat actors launder cryptocurrency stolen in large heists, and Chainalysis says it processed over $19.9 billion between 2021 and 2025.

Record illicit crypto wallet inflows in 2025 despite lower share of blockchain flows

Target Trend
First: 12.01.2026 12:15 Last: 12.01.2026 12:15 Sources 1

About this happening: **Illicit crypto wallets** received an estimated **$158bn** in **2025**, the highest level seen in five years, even as their share of total crypto activity fell. The increase refl...

Timeline

  1. 02.03.2026 12:45 2 articles · 2mo ago

    Ransomware payments fell as victim counts surged in 2025

    Campaign Scope Update

    Ransomware payments fell 8% to $820m in 2025 even as victim counts rose 50%, making 2025 the most active year on record. Payment rates dropped from 63% in 2024 to 29%, while the median payment rose to $59,556. The trend was especially visible in the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, and other parts of Europe, with manufacturing and finance/professional services among the hardest hit sectors.

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