The Proofpoint 2026 AI-Era Ransomware Report reveals that 54% of organizations paid ransoms to attackers, despite data showing that payments often fail to prevent repeat extortion or data loss.
Key Points
- The Proofpoint report surveyed 1,000 security professionals across 12 global markets regarding ransomware trends.
- Data indicates 37% of victims who paid a ransom faced subsequent extortion demands from the same attackers.
- Approximately 2% of organizations paid the requested ransom but failed to regain access to their encrypted files.
- Cybersecurity experts recommend mitigating risks through phishing awareness training, offline data backups, and AI-powered endpoint protection.